The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-08-01
SCIENCE ASSAULTS
SOME OF NATIONS
HEALTH PROBLEMS
Ar+hri+is and Birth Defects Now
Targets Of National
Foundation

New York.-A program that
will permit a scientific assault on
major health problems of the ma
ton, with arthritis and birth de-
fects as initial new targets, was
announced this week by the Ma
tional Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis.
Basil O'Conner, president of the
organization that made possible
the Salk polio vaccine, outlined
it's broad new program of future
attack on disease and disability at
press conference in New York
on Tuesday DULY 22).
While carrying on the winning
fight against polio, the National
Foundation, as it now will be
known, will continue tits history
making virus research program
and Investigations of disorders of
the central nervous system, and
will add research and patient aid
in arthritis and birth defects
(congenital malformations), Mr..
O'Connor said.
The expanded program will be
financed through the traditional
March of Dimes conducted each
! January by volunteers in 3,100
county chapters across the coun-
try.
Mr.. O'Connor said:
"This is our concept for the
future: The development of an
organized voluntary force in the
fields of medical research, patient
care and professional education
flexible enough to meet new
health problems as they arise
with specific goals initially.
"The heart of the new program
! is research. Research will be ex-
banded from where it is now
without the restriction of being
confined in the future to a single
disease. Professional education
also will be expanded to cover
training of personnel both for re-
search and, patient care in all
areas of activity.
! Freedom to follow research clues
wherever they lead will be com
bined with necessary limitations or
patient aid in the beginning, Mr.
/ O'Connor explained.
The limitations result from the
enormity of the patient care prob.
lem: At least 100000 persons
have arthritis and rheumatism;
250,000 children are born with sig.
nificant birth defects each year
Excluding birth injuries); an
estimated 10000 persons who
have had paralytic polio still will
require some assistance in the
years ahead.
1t is planned to offer patient
aid at first only to arthritis pa
(, tients 10 years of age and to chill
dren suffering from malforma
tions of the central nervous sys
tenn also through age IS, he said
Some 10000 childhood arthritil
sufferers can be expected to seel
treatment each year and abou
5000 patients annually have brit
defects of the central nervous sys
tenn that are treatable. Anon,
these conditions are: spina bifid.
(open spine), encephalocele (opel
skull) and hydrocephalus (wate
on the brain).
| To shape broad program il
patient aid in arthritis and brit
defects, much must be learne,
about precise numbers Of patients
the number and quality of existin,
facilities and the availability o
qualified personnel, the Nationa
Foundation president said.
sour objective in patient car
is to continue the polio job unit
it is finished he explained. "W
: have a moral obligation to do thi
, and the American people expect u
to recognize this responsibility
1--we shall begin patient care i
arthritis and birth defects, first