Tuberculosis Surveillance System in the Islamic Republic of Iran: History, Structures and Achievements

Background and Objectives: Over the past decades, the Iran’s anti-tuberculosis campaign has become highly structured and many achievements have been made. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of the TB surveillance system and its components in the Islamic Republic of Iran.   Methods: The data of this study were obtained from the surveillance system of the Center for Communicable Disease Control, a review of the records, documents, books and published articles, and also interviews with process owners and experts of TB surveillance during 2017-2019.   Results: Case finding and treatment and follow-up of TB patients and their household contacts are done In the TB surveillance system. The implementation of the DOTS, (DIRECTLY OBSERVED TREATMENT SHORT-Course) is a major component of the TB surveillance system. Patient registration is done in an online application, which allows extracting and reporting the important indicators of the program. In this surveillance system, there is a special sensitivity to the treatment of patients, so the incidence of multi drug-resistant TB in the country is lower than that of the neighbors. The presence of regional laboratories that cover the entire region of the country is one of the strengths of the TB surveillance program in Iran.   Conclusion: Despite budget problems, the anti-TB program in Iran has many achievements. However, new strategies need to be considered to reduce the incidence of TB.