Tuberculosis case finding in twenty-two countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2011 Apr;15(4):556-61. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.10.0315.

Abstract

A hypothetical model has been developed to evaluate the efficiency of the case-finding process in 22 countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The model is based on the patient's pathway to care in a stepwise approach from the community to the tuberculosis (TB) management units. Performance was measured using indicators for each of the components of the Stop TB strategy, and a scoring system was developed. The indicators significantly associated with TB case detection were then reported. This tool can assist countries in evaluating the efficiency of their surveillance system in detecting cases.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Mediterranean Region / epidemiology
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Population Surveillance / methods*
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis / epidemiology*