title: Tuberculosis prevalence surveys: rationale and cost.
abstract: This article is the first of the educational series 'Assessing tuberculosis (TB) prevalence through population-based surveys'. The series will give overall guidance in conducting cross-sectional surveys of pulmonary TB (PTB) disease. TB prevalence surveys are most valuable in areas where notification data obtained through routine surveillance are of unproven accuracy or incomplete, and in areas with an estimated prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed TB of more than 100 per 100,000 population. To embark on a TB prevalence survey requires commitment from the national TB programme, compliance in the study population, plus availability of trained staff and financial resources. The primary objective of TB prevalence surveys is to determine the prevalence of PTB in the general population aged >or=15 years. Limitations of TB prevalence surveys are their inability to assess regional or geographic differences in prevalence of TB, estimate the burden of childhood TB or estimate the prevalence of extra-pulmonary TB. The cost of a prevalence survey is typically US$ 4-15 per person surveyed, and up to US$ 25 per person with radiographic screening. A survey of 50,000 people, of limited precision, would typically cost US$ 200,000-1,250,000.
authors: World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines. glazioup@wpro.who.int
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Glaziou
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: van der Werf
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Onozaki
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Dye
authors: M W
authors: MW
authors: Borgdorff
authors: C-Y
authors: CY
authors: Chiang
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Cobelens
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Enarson
authors: P G
authors: PG
authors: Gopi
authors: T H
authors: TH
authors: Holtz
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Kim
authors: F
authors: F
authors: van Leth
authors: W-J
authors: WJ
authors: Lew
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Lonnroth
authors: P
authors: P
authors: van Maaren
authors: P R
authors: PR
authors: Narayanan
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*