Beyond the numbers : interpreting the 2016 global tuberculosis report to inform policy and practice in the East African Community

Abstract

By the year 2000 five East African Community (EAC) member states: Uganda,Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi had adopted the WHO directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS), a policy meant to speed up the control of tuberculosis (TB) through effective diagnosis and treatment. However the rate of TB burden reduction has been slow to the extent that three of the EAC member states:Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are still categorised as high TB burden countries. We analyse the WHO 2016 TB report and draw key lessons to inform policy and practice for effective control of TB. Comprehensive implementation of existing policy including adequate financing, universal access to diagnosis and treatment, and socioeconomic empowerment of affected communities is critical for ending TB in East Africa and the world at large.