Effects of migration on tuberculosis epidemiological indicators in low and medium tuberculosis incidence countries: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top ten causes of death each year globally. While the risk of migrant TB is linked to the TB incidence in their country of origin, the migration process can increase the TB risk. Objective We aimed to synthesis the evidence on key differences in the epidemiological profile of TB between migrants from high TB incidence birth countries and non-migrants resident in low to medium incidence TB countries. Methods We conducted a systematic review where the population was all active TB cases in countries with low to medium TB incidence ( Results Significant differences were found in the overall proportions of high TB incidence migrants and non-migrants for MDR cases, clustered cases, HIV coinfections and successful treatment, as well as a significant difference in the OR among MDR cases (3.91). Conclusion This review has demonstrated significant differences in key epidemiological indicators between high TB incidence migrants and non-migrants, indicating policy implications.