title: Capacity building for international tuberculosis control through operations research training.
abstract: METHODS
  In resource-poor countries, few tuberculosis (TB) program staff at the national, provincial, and even district levels have the basic analytical and epidemiological skills necessary for collecting and analyzing quality data pertaining to national TB control program (NTP) improvements. This includes setting program priorities, operations planning, and implementing and evaluating program activities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present a model course for building capacity in basic epidemiology and operations research (OR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A combination of didactic lectures and applied field exercises were used to achieve the main objectives of the 6-day OR course. These were to increase the understanding of quantitative and qualitative research concepts, study design, and analytic methods, and to increase awareness of how these methods apply to the epidemiology and control of TB; and to demonstrate the potential uses of OR in answering practical questions on NTP effectiveness. As a final outcome, course participants develop OR proposals that are funded and later implemented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since 1997, this OR course has been conducted nine times in five countries; 149 key NTP and laboratory staff have been trained in OR methods, and 44 OR protocols have been completed or are underway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This low-cost model course can be adapted to a wide range of public health issues.
authors.affiliation: Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Laserson
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Binkin
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laing
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Iademarco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Agerton
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cegielski
authors.forename: O
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authors.lastname: Ferroussier
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authors.lastname: Holtz
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authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vitek
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authors.lastname: Gammino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finlay
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dewan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weyer
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Sy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Becerra
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ershova
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D006292:Health Priorities; D009313:National Health Programs; D009874:Operations Research; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000517:prevention & control*