[Thinking about tuberculosis in Osaka City]

The incidence rate of tuberculosis in Osaka City (104.2 per 100,000 population) is extremely high, namely 3 times higher than the national average. Why the tuberculosis situation of Osaka City is so bad? The reason could be summarized as follows: Before the end of the World War II (1945), it was the sequelae of high prevalence observed in the era of Meiji, Taisho and early years of Showa. However, after the World War II, especially from the Heisei era (1989-), it is deeply affected by the influence of socio-economic background in Japan. Osaka City is characterized as the city of merchants and small enterprises. And therefore, the city substantially has the nature of the locality that brings in or produces some kinds of social vulnerability such as temporary laborers and homeless people. Of the tuberculosis patients in Osaka City, about 20% are homeless. In addition, patients of the smear positive infectious tuberculosis are often discovered among temporary laborers who change their residences and job sites from place to place and contact widely with citizens. These two are the most difficult problems in tuberculosis control program of Osaka City. In the meantime, there are many citizens who are careless of their health and do not follow the law or social rule, and this has apparently no direct connection with the problems of tuberculosis. However, it might be one of the factors of an undesirable trend of tuberculosis in Osaka City. In order to improve such a unfavorable tuberculosis situation in Osaka City, effective and strong supporting activities to the tuberculosis program are essentially needed. And these activities must be done from the standpoint of health-promotion, namely, health education for citizens and improvement of social environmental conditions to maintain healthy and cultural life.