The realistic possibilities of chemotherapy for pulmonary tuberculosis in South America

The slow integration of antituberculosis programmes into general health service activities is the most important problem encountered. Short course regimes with high cost drugs require the supervision which, for the time being, is difficult to realize on a large scale except, perhaps, in big cities. Though pilot studies of short course regimes are welcomed, for the immediate use in both the capitals and the rural areas mainly self-administered low-cost systems may be considered for the chemotherapy of tuberculosis, with basic division of patients into groups of previously untreated and previously treated persons (which would affect the drug combination used), and smear (and culture?) positive or negative persons (which might affect the duration of therapy administered). For the latter, it is of considerable importance to continue improving the network of bacteriological laboratories.