[The management of tuberculosis in the Republic of Cuba]

The essential aspects for the management of tuberculosis surveillance and control are described to propitiate their divulgation among to health professionals. Since 1970 there is an integrated program under way within the health services based on the localization of cases by the bacilloscopic examination and the sputum culture in symptomatic respiratory patients, the ambulatory controlled treatment, the investigation of the contacts of the notified cases, including the chemoprophylaxis with isoniacide, and the BCG vaccination to newborns. In 1995, the percentage of symptomatic patients detected at the general medicine offices was of 0.7%, whereas the percentage of the first bacilloscopy performed among the symptomatic individuals was of 78.6%, 99.5% of the detected contacts were investigated. 37.9% of the new cases were diagnosed at the primary health care level. After a decreasing trend maintained from 1979 to 1991, mortality has increased from 50 deaths (0.5 x 10(5)) in 1991 to 157 (1.4 x 10(5)) in 1995, and the incidence rose from 503 (4.7 x 10(5)) in 1991 to 1,574 (14.3 x 10(5)) in 1994, and to 1,553 (14.0 x 10(5)) in 1995, which suggests that the increase observed during the last 6 years begins to stop. The primary resistance to tuberculostatics was of 3.5% in 1992-1995, and of 11.5% in 1996. A priority integrated program of surveillance and control adjusted to the present socioeconomic conditions of the country is still going on.