Framework for systematic analysis of alternative approaches to tuberculosis control programme

The various TB surveys conducted in the country reveal that nearly 1.8 to 2 per cent of the population is suffering from active pulmonary tuberculosis and nearly one-fourth of these are sputum positive. Therefore, it is estimated that there will be nearly 8 million active TB cases, of which 2 million would be infectious. It is further estimated there will be at least 5,000,000 deaths per year due to TB. The Government of India, though constrained with the paucity of resources, is committed to control the disease within the shortest possible time. Given the case finding operations on a sporadic scale would identify those suffering from TB, this paper purports to construct a framework for systematic analysis of three alternative approaches to reduce and resolve the problem.