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Strong general health care systems: a prerequisite to reach global tuberculosis control targets
Author(s) -
Mahendradhata Yodi,
Lambert MarieLaurence,
Van Deun Armand,
Matthys Francine,
Boelaert Marleen,
van der Stuyft Patrick
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the international journal of health planning and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-1751
pISSN - 0749-6753
DOI - 10.1002/hpm.724
Subject(s) - tuberculosis , health care , tuberculosis control , control (management) , business , dual (grammatical number) , public health , population , investment (military) , health services , medicine , risk analysis (engineering) , economic growth , public economics , economics , environmental health , political science , nursing , art , literature , management , pathology , politics , law
We argue that tuberculosis control cannot reach its proposed global targets without investment in an adequate network of accessible, effective and comprehensive health services. Lessons from the past are reviewed. They underscore that passive case‐detection and adequate case management is the central technical strategy for tuberculosis control. There is no compelling evidence to support active case‐detection in the general population. We elaborate on why a strong health care system is a prerequisite in the framework of case‐detection and treatment. The necessity to improve quality and accessibility of general health services for ensuring early detection and subsequent cure is demonstrated. It is argued why the need for strong public health care system becomes even more eminent in the light of the tuberculosis/HIV dual epidemics and of the rapid growth of unregulated private‐for‐profit services. We finally examine the financial gaps for tuberculosis control and discuss the need for allocating more resources to the strengthening of general health care systems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.