Tuberculosis, public health and gathering new evidence to guide control efforts.

More than100years after the discovery of the tubercle bacillus by Robert Koch, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most important public health challenges worldwide. Despite significant achievements in communicable disease control in the last century, theWorldHealthOrganization (WHO) estimates that in 2011 there were 8.7 million incident cases of TB and 1.4 million TB-related deaths, as well as an additional 430 000 deaths as a result of TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. In Australia, the incidence of TB has fluctuated at around 6.0 per 100 000 population for the last 15 years, with more than 85% of cases occurring in people born overseas. This special issue of the NSW Public Health Bulletin reviews the current epidemiology ofTB inNewSouth Wales (NSW), showcases the experiences of clinicians in managing difficult TB cases, highlights the public health challenges involved in TB control, and adds new evidence to aid future action towards the elimination of TB in Australia.