Can tuberculosis be controlled?
Background Tuberculosis (TB) is nearly 100% curable. However, the ability of medical and public health interventions to control TB, particularly in developing countries, is often doubted. Methods We reviewed data for the amenability of TB to control. We considered separately control of deaths, prevalence, rate of infection and incidence. Results Tuberculosis mortality can be reduced by more than 80% in less than 5 years. The prevalence of TB can be reduced by 30% or more annually; sustained annual decreases of 17% have been documented in a developing country. The TB infection rate can be reduced by 15% annually. In the absence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), TB incidence can be decreased by as much as 25% per year and up to 10% annually in developing countries. A high prevalence of untreated HIV infection in the adult population of a developing country will inevitably result in a significant increase in TB incidence despite optimal use of currently available technologies. Conclu
