Methods: Monitoring the detection and treatment of TB cases
Data collection
Every year, WHO requests information from TB control programmes (or relevant public health authorities) in 210 countries or territories via a standard data collection form. The latest form was distributed in 2003 and the section dealing with surveillance asked for data on: TB control strategies implemented in 2002, TB case notifications in 2002, and treatment outcomes for TB patients registered during 2001. The form can be downloaded from www.who.int/gtb/publications/globrep/ .
Data verification
Completed data collection forms are collected via WHO country offices, and the data are reviewed at all levels of WHO. WHO/HQ sends an acknowledgement back to the country, re-tabulating all data supplied, in order to complete any missing responses and to resolve any inconsistencies.
In the WHO European region only, data collection and verification is performed jointly by the regional office and a WHO collaborating centre, EuroTB (Paris), using an expanded format. EuroTB subsequently publishes an annual report with additional analyses, using data that are considered more final for the European region (see www.eurotb.org).
DOTS classification
DOTS is the internationally recommended approach to TB control. It is not simply a clinical approach to individual patients, but rather a management strategy for public health systems that includes political commitment, and the technical elements (listed in Table 1). From the NTP responses as a whole, but particularly from the section on policy, WHO accepts or revises the NTP's own determination of its DOTS status.
