The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
-
Int. J. Tuberc. Lung Dis. · Sep 2013
ReviewBurden of tuberculosis in indigenous peoples globally: a systematic review.
The burden of tuberculosis (TB) in the estimated 370 million indigenous peoples worldwide is unknown. ⋯ Where data exist, indigenous peoples were generally found to have higher rates of TB disease than non-indigenous peoples; however, this burden varied greatly. The paucity of published information on TB burden among indigenous peoples highlights the need to implement and improve TB surveillance to better measure and understand global disparities in TB rates.
-
Int. J. Tuberc. Lung Dis. · Sep 2013
ReviewTuberculosis screening in high human immunodeficiency virus prevalence settings: turning promise into reality.
Twenty years of sky-high tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates and high TB mortality in high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence countries have so far not been matched by the same magnitude or breadth of responses as seen in malaria or HIV programmes. Instead, recommendations have been narrowly focused on people presenting to health facilities for investigation of TB symptoms, or for HIV testing and care. However, despite the recent major investment and scale-up of TB and HIV services, undiagnosed TB remains highly prevalent at community level, implying that diagnosis of TB remains slow and incomplete. ⋯ Ideally, we would systematically test, treat and prevent TB and HIV comprehensively, offering both TB and HIV screening to all health facility attendees, TB households and all adults in the highest risk communities. However, we are still held back by inadequate diagnostics, financing and paucity of population-impact data. Relevant contemporary research showing the high need for potential gains, and pitfalls from expanded and intensified TB screening in high HIV prevalence settings are discussed in this review.
-
Int. J. Tuberc. Lung Dis. · Sep 2013
Methodological and reporting quality of systematic reviews on tuberculosis.
Systematic reviews are used to inform tuberculosis (TB) guidelines. However, there are no data on whether TB systematic reviews are conducted well and reported transparently. ⋯ Systematic reviews in our survey were well reported but generally of moderate to low quality. Better training, use of reporting guidelines and registration of systematic reviews could improve the quality of TB reviews.