ORGANIZATION OF THE FIGHT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS IN THE GRODNO REGION IN THE PERIOD 1960-1990

Background. Tuberculosis in Belarus is decreasing. This reduction in tuberculosis incidence and mortality is the result of many years of intensive systematic work by Belarusian healthcare workers and scientists. But it was not always like this. Objective. To analyze the dynamics of epidemiological indicators for tuberculosis (incidence and mortality) in the Grodno region in the period 1960-1990. Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of the tuberculosis incidence and mortality rates from statistical compilations (documents) characterizing the epidemic situation in the Grodno region for the period 1960-1990 was conducted. Results. In 1960, the incidence rate of tuberculosis in the Grodno region was 171.1 per 100,000 population, and the mortality rate was 44.8 per 100,000. After the adoption of Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 972 dated September 1, 1960 "On measures to further reduce the tuberculosis incidence rate," all anti-tuberculosis work in the region was quickly restructured: tuberculosis offices and dispensaries were opened, new forms of work were introduced, new equipment and technology were purchased, the duration of inpatient treatment was increased, etc. This made it possible to improve the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in the region. In 1973 the tuberculosis incidence rate decreased to 98.5 per 100,000 population and the mortality rate fell to 11.1 per 100,000 population. The inclusion of the Grodno region in the number of experimental bases (territories of the USSR) intended for a significant decline in tuberculosis incidence rate (1973) became an important stage in the development of tuberculosis services in the Grodno region. The development of programs by scientists aimed to intensify the fight against tuberculosis infection and introduction of the most rational and effective of them into practice allowed to significantly improve the epidemic situation in the Grodno region. Thus, the tuberculosis incidence rate decreased from 98.5 per 100,000 population in 1973 (the beginning of the experiment) to 39.4 per 100,000 population in 1980. The mortality rate for the specified period decreased by half. In 1989, the tuberculosis incidence rate in the Grodno region was 31.9 per 100,000 population – more than 5 times lower than the same indicator in 1960 (171.9 per 100,000). During this period, the mortality rate decreased from 44.8 per 100,000 population in 1961 to 2.3 per 100,000 population in 1989, that is almost 20 times. Conclusion. The developed organizational forms of anti-tuberculosis work became the foundation on which the tuberculosis control service in the Grodno region was built and improved, which led to a significant reduction in incidence and mortality rates by the end of the 1980s.