BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) rates remain high in regions of Southern Mexico despite the existence of a National Tuberculosis Program. Understanding TB epidemiology in such settings would assist in the design of improved TB control and highlight the challenges confronting TB control in developing countries. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of treatment control cards from 1991 to 19...

Background Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) is a requirement in the management of Tuberculosis (TB) globally. With transition from alternate day treatment to daily India, monitoring adherence through DOT logistic challenge. The pervasiveness mobile phones India provides unique opportunity address this challenge remotely. This ...

HIV and AIDS remain highly stigmatised. Modified directly observed therapy (m-DOT) supports antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence but little is known about its association with perceived stigma in resource-constrained settings. In 2003, 234 HIV-infected adults enrolled in a two-arm randomised trial comparing a health centre-based m-DOT strategy with standard self-administration of ART. Data ...

BACKGROUND Despite its wealth, excellent vital indices and robust health care infrastructure, Hong Kong has a relatively high incidence of tuberculosis (TB) (85.4 per 100 000). Hong Kong residents have also experienced a very rapid and recent epidemiological transition; the population largely originated from migration by southern Chinese in the mid 20th century. Given the potentially long laten...

OBJECTIVE To test the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the School-Based Preventive Asthma Care Technology (SB-PACT) program, which includes directly observed therapy of preventive asthma medications in school facilitated by Web-based technology for systematic symptom screening, electronic report generation, and medication authorization from providers. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a p...

A cohort of cases initiating tuberculosis treatment from May 2001 to July 2003 was followed in Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil, to investigate biological, clinical, social, lifestyle, and healthcare access factors associated with three negative tuberculosis treatment outcomes (treatment failure, dropout, and death) separately and as a group. Treatment failure was associated with treatment dela...

INTRODUCTION The objective of this study is to explore the associations between national tuberculosis program (NTP) budget allocation and tuberculosis related outcomes in the World Health Organization's 22 high burden countries from 2007-2009. METHODS This ecological study used mixed effects and generalized estimating equation models to identify independent associations between NTP budget all...

OBJECTIVE To pilot the WHO guidelines on DOTS for tuberculosis (TB) among displaced people affected by conflict in Churachandpur District, Manipur State, north-east India, which has endured an HIV epidemic, injecting drug use, civil unrest, high levels of TB, and poor TB treatment and prevention services for many years. METHODS Prerequisites for TB control programmes were established. WHO gui...

This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of village doctors based on current national policies and to explore factors determining their roles in the directly observed therapy, short course (DOTS) strategy and tuberculosis (TB) control in rural China. In this cross-sectional study conducted in Shandong Province, we interviewed a total of 1,824 village doctors from 36 vil...