title: Tuberculosis elimination: theory and practice in Europe.
abstract: Although Europe identified the pathway to tuberculosis (TB) elimination in 1990, no information on programmes for country preparedness is available. A questionnaire investigating TB elimination activities was submitted to 38 national TB programme representatives of low TB incidence (<20 cases per 100 000 population) European countries/territories of the World Health Organization European region. Out of 31 providing a complete answer, 17 (54.8%) reported to have a dedicated national TB programme, 20 (64.5%) a national plan including TB elimination (13 (41.9%) including targets), 22 (71%) guidelines, 14 (45.2%) a specific budget for TB activities, and 23 (74.2%) TB reference centres. All countries reported having case-based electronic TB surveillance, 19 (61.3%) perform regular supervision, 12 (38.7%) have a monitoring and evaluation plan and five (16.1%) perform modelling. In three countries (9.7%), TB health services are free for insured individuals only. In 22 countries/territories (71%) not all TB drugs were available, while in 12 (38.7%) drug stock-outs have been described. Although high-risk group screening for latent TB infection is performed by the majority of countries, only 6 (19.4%) provided figures on preventive treatment completion rates. Not all elements identified as essential for country preparedness to achieve TB elimination are available in the countries surveyed.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Care and Research Institute, Tradate.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dara
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tadolini
authors.forename: Rosella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Centis
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotgiu
authors.forename: Marieke J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van der Werf
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaga
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spanevello
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raviglione
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blasi
authors.forename: Giovanni Battista
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Migliori
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D060740:Disease Eradication; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D005060:Europe; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D055552:Infectious Disease Medicine / Q000639:trends; D007391:International Cooperation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D014944:World Health Organization