Mandatory tuberculosis case notification in high tuberculosis-incidence countries: policy and practice

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Health Policy

Background:

• Mandatory tuberculosis (TB) notification is a key component of global strategies to combat TB.
• Enforcement and implementation of TB notification policies, particularly in high TB incidence countries, remain under-researched.
• Understanding current practices and challenges is essential for effective TB control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the status of mandatory TB notification policies and their enforcement in countries with varying TB incidence.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for TB notification, especially from the private healthcare sector.
• To provide recommendations for strengthening TB surveillance systems in line with the End TB Strategy.

Main Methods:

• A literature search was conducted for high TB incidence countries.
• A questionnaire-based survey was administered to key informants in high, intermediate, and low TB incidence countries.
• Data were collected from 40 out of 54 contacted countries regarding TB notification practices.

Main Results:

• TB is a notifiable disease in a majority of surveyed intermediate and low-incidence countries, but less consistently in high-incidence countries (11 out of 15).
• Public sector TB case notification is generally systematized, but systems to facilitate reporting from private providers are lacking in many high-incidence settings.
• Published literature on TB notification in high-incidence countries is limited, highlighting existing barriers and the importance of electronic reporting systems.

Conclusions:

• All countries should include TB on their national list of notifiable diseases to support TB elimination goals.
• Improving the ease of notification from private healthcare providers is critical for successful TB control.
• Investing in robust disease surveillance systems and digital tools is essential for simplifying TB notification and enhancing public health responses.