Global burden of disease [letter]

Tuberculosis (TB) is the only currently existing communicable disease predicted to still be among the top 10 causes of disease burden in 2020. While new more effective drugs would help to control the disease there is still a considerable amount which can and should be done now with available resources to reduce the incidence and prevalence of TB. High cure rates must first be achieved in large-scale TB control programs accessible to most of the population. High cure rates combined with efficient case finding have led to marked declines in TB incidence rates in communities. TB control based upon the directly observed therapy short-course (DOTS) strategy is cost-effective. Anti-TB control is actually one of the most cost-effective strategies available to ministries of health. More than 70 countries have adopted the DOTS approach and approximately 11% of patients worldwide are being treated with it. More countries need to adopt effective TB control programs.