The Role of the Health Department in Tuberculosis Control

¹ Director, Division of Tuberculosis and Chronic Diseases, Texas State Department of Health.

The County Health Department should serve as the hub of all health services and should offer leadership in coordinating and integrating the community health resources. It should offer counselling and referral services for persons unfamiliar with the public, private, health and welfare resources of the county.

The County Health Department usually maintains the case register of all known tuberculosis cases and provides nursing service in addition to year-round case finding activities. The control of recalcitrant tuberculosis cases usually is built around the local health department. Many local health departments provide needed laboratory tests, including sputum studies of suspected tuberculosis cases.

The Health Department should conduct periodic and regular evaluations of the local tuberculosis program and offer leadership in the planning of the control program. It has an obligation to provide information and the problem of tuberculosis to the public and should discourage complacency. Every health department should encourage routine chest x-ray films on all hospital admissions. If interest, funds and personnel permit, research studies should be conducted regarding the disease.