Good progress with DOTS in the South-East Asia Region

The South-East Asia Region (SEAR) accounts for 38% of the global tuberculosis (TB). Encouraging progress has been made since the DOTS strategy was introduced in all SEAR Member States between 1993-94. Operational guidelines for and joint plans of action for disease control activities in the border districts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal have been drawn up. The key issues involved in the good progress with DOTS are: Resource mobilisation, case detection, case management, drugs and logistics, supervision, monitoring and surveillance, preventing emergence of multidrug resistant TB and lastly health sector reform. Given the current momentum and commitment, it is expected that the region will active the set targets of universal coverage by 2006.