Resumo

GONZALEZ OCHOA, Edilberto et al. Mortalidad por tuberculosis en Cuba, 1902-1997. Rev Cubana Med Trop [online]. 2003, vol.55, n.1, pp. 5-13. ISSN 1561-3054.

The behavior of mortality from tuberculosis in Cuba from 1902 to 1997 was described. During the xx century, tuberculosis has been studied in various stages, but no papers reflecting its behavior in a comprehensive way have been published so far. To this end, the notifications of tuberculosis and the populations by sex, age and provinces available since 1902 in the archives of the National Statistics Division of the Ministry of Public Health were taken into consideration. The trend and the percentages of variation of the gross and specific rates were analyzed. A descending trend of mortality from tuberculosis with rates from 230.9 x 105, in 1902, to 0.7, in 1997, was observed. It decreased 71.7 % between 1902 and 1940, 74 % between 1943 and 1959, 85 % between 1960 and 1978, and 0.16 % between 1985 to 1991. It increased 40 % from 1991 to 1994 and it decreased 30 % from 1994 to 1997. Pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculoses descended in the same way. They were higher among females until 1940, but from 1943 on it was observed a predominance in males. The highest rates were observed in the group aged 45 and over. They have been insignificant among individuals under 15 for the last 30 years. The highest rates were reported in the capital of the country. It was concluded that the mortality rates from tuberculosis have decreased remarkably during the present century and that it should disappear as a health problem in the next 10 years.

Palavras-chave : TUBERCULOSIS [mortality]; TUBER-CULOSIS [history]; TUBERCULOSIS PULMONARY [mortality]; TUBERCULOSIS PULMONARY [history]; MORTALITY RATE; CUBA.