PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Lia D'Ambrosio
AU  - Masoud Dara
AU  - Marina Tadolini
AU  - Rosella Centis
AU  - Giovanni Sotgiu
AU  - Marieke J. van der Werf
AU  - Mina Gaga
AU  - Daniela Cirillo
AU  - Antonio Spanevello
AU  - Mario Raviglione
AU  - Francesco Blasi
AU  - Giovanni Battista Migliori
TI  - Tuberculosis elimination: theory and practice in Europe
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00198813
DP  - 2014 May 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1410--1420
VI  - 43
IP  - 5
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/5/1410.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/5/1410.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 May 01; 43
AB  - Although Europe identified the pathway to tuberculosis (TB) elimination in 1990, no information on programmes for country preparedness is available. A questionnaire investigating TB elimination activities was submitted to 38 national TB programme representatives of low TB incidence (<20 cases per 100 000 population) European countries/territories of the World Health Organization European region. Out of 31 providing a complete answer, 17 (54.8%) reported to have a dedicated national TB programme, 20 (64.5%) a national plan including TB elimination (13 (41.9%) including targets), 22 (71%) guidelines, 14 (45.2%) a specific budget for TB activities, and 23 (74.2%) TB reference centres. All countries reported having case-based electronic TB surveillance, 19 (61.3%) perform regular supervision, 12 (38.7%) have a monitoring and evaluation plan and five (16.1%) perform modelling. In three countries (9.7%), TB health services are free for insured individuals only. In 22 countries/territories (71%) not all TB drugs were available, while in 12 (38.7%) drug stock-outs have been described. Although high-risk group screening for latent TB infection is performed by the majority of countries, only 6 (19.4%) provided figures on preventive treatment completion rates. Not all elements identified as essential for country preparedness to achieve TB elimination are available in the countries surveyed. As TB elimination interventions are sub-optimally applied, more training, awareness and political commitment are necessary http://ow.ly/ru6PV