Personalized information system for the control of tuberculosis in resource-limited settings: A simplistic proposal...

Passive case finding remains the mainstay of tuberculosis (TB) control in several resource-limited countries. Although TB prevalence and mortality rates have declined in recent years, an estimated 3 million cases a year still go undetected and/or unreported, and delays in the diagnosis and treatment of TB continue to be widespread. It has been shown that identifying and treating individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI) prevents progression to active TB disease and is one of the key components of TB control strategies. However, neither systematic screening of LTBI nor a policy of isoniazid preventive therapy exists in several resource-limited countries for TB close contacts, leading to the vicious cycle of infection/reinfection in household. Moreover, no reliable data exist for TB contacts for efficient control measures to be set up. In recent years, many countries, especially developing countries, have witnessed an upsurge in the use of mobile phones. Should we want to achieve the post-2015TB elimination goal? For this purpose, it is necessary to formulate new strategies utilizing the widespread availability of new communication technologies (e.g., smartphone apps). This can provide an enhanced means to curb the disease, especially in resource-limited countries still lacking preventive measures and effective strategies to combat this old foe.