The Status of Anti-Tuberculosis Efforts in Taiwan

Suo Jen

2008 Vol.24 NO.3

Correspondence Author： Suo Jen

Abstract：

It has been 7 years since the Centers for Disease Control completed its take over of all anti-tuberculosis programs. From its early over-emphasis on reporting suspected cases which neglected diagnostic quality and management of tuberculosis cases, to the implementation of directly observed therapy- short course (DOTS) programs and the establishment of multidrug resistant treatment teams, CDC has gradually stepped into the right direction by fostering close cooperation between clinical and public health aspects of tuberculosis care. This article briefly reviews the evolution of organizational manpower, TB patient registries, case detection, and drug resistant tuberculosis management. I hope that through this review, we can all look forward to stable, continued growth of the anti-tuberculosis efforts, removing obstacles for patients to receive care, in order to fight against tuberculosis.
Key words: anti-tuberculosis organization, centralized tuberculosis patient registry, case detection, directly observed therapy- short course (DOTS), drug resistant tuberculosis