[Epidemiologic surveillance of tuberculosis in French Polynesia between 1960 and 1990]

A monitoring and prevention policy for tuberculosis has been implemented in French Polynesia in 1960. Between 1960 and 1990, case-notification rate decreased dramatically from 568 to 30 per 100,000 with an average annual decrease rate of 9.1%. Cumulative case-notification rates calculated over the 30-year period for the 5 archipelagoes constituting the territory vary significantly: the highest rate has been observed in Gambier Islands. Sex ratio for the whole period was 1.1. The annual incidence rate, according to age-groups has been computerized using actuarial method. A cohort-effect is observed: given an age of individuals, the incidence rate becomes lower when shifting from an older cohort to a younger one. Also, an age-effect is to be emphasized: there is a decreasing trend of the rate in each cohort when the age of the individuals amid the cohort increases. The proportion of smear-positive tuberculosis cases increased from 38% in 1976 to 54% in 1990. A 0.57% annual risk of infection (ARI) has been estimated for 1977, and a 0.41% ARI for 1989. Tuberculosis mortally rate is documented since 1985, and varies between 10.8 and 2.1 per 100,000 since that year.