Preliminary Evaluation of Taiwan’s Tuberculosis DOTS Strategy

Chien-Bang Hsu

2008 Vol.24 NO.3

Correspondence Author： Chien-Bang Hsu

Abstract：

Since April 2006, under the mobilization plan to reduce tuberculosis by half in a decade, Taiwan has implemented DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) in full scale. According to data collected from December 2007, the DOTS implementation rate among smear-positive patients reached 92.6%. Apart from the increase in quantity of DOTS, the quality of DOTS was also enhanced through careful supervision. Preliminary cohort data indicates that the treatment success rate of the smear-positive cases under DOTS and not under DOTS, the sputum conversion rate in 3 months and the defaulted rate have improved in either 2005 (before DOTS) or 2006 (after DOTS); thus showing that significant results in Taiwan’s DOTS implementation.
DOTS requires a complete strategy, especially the 5 elements recommended by WHO. These need continuous evaluation and research in order to discover and amend any flaws and thus elevating the quality.
Keywords: Tuberculosis, Halve tuberculosis in a decade, DOTS, smear-positive