Engaging women volunteers of high socioeconomic status in supporting socioeconomically disadvantaged tuberculosis patients in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

WPSAR Vol 4, No1, 2013 | doi: 10.5365/wpsar.2012.3.4.013 www.wpro.who.int/wpsar 1 a The Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-tuberculosis Association, Tokyo, Japan. b TB/HIV Research Foundation, Muang District, Chiang Rai, Thailand. c Chiang Rai Regional Hospital, Chiang Rai, Thailand. Submitted: 26 October 2012; Published: 28 January 2013 doi: 10.5365/wpsar.2012.3.4.013 Problem: The 2008 tuberculosis (TB) surveillance of Chiang Rai Hospital, Chiang Rai, Thailand reported that 8.4% of Thai, 22.7% of hill tribe minority and 25% of migrant patients (n = 736) defaulted from treatment.