title: Tuberculosis-a World Health Organization Perspective.
abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented and scaled-up three important global public health strategies (i.e., DOTS, Stop TB, and End TB) to improve the international scenario. Their epidemiological impact was relevant, as they decreased the number of potential new cases of disease and death. However, the emergence and spread of TB/HIV coinfection and multidrug-resistant TB have hindered the progress towards the elimination of TB by 2050. More efforts are required to increase the global annual decline of the TB incidence rate. Political commitment is necessary, with global and national strategies oriented to the adoption and adaptation of the international, evidence-based recommendations on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Research and development activities should be planned to improve the current tools adopted to fight the disease. New rapid diagnostics, an updated and effective therapeutic armamentarium, and an effective preventive vaccine could represent the solution to address the current epidemiological threats.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari 07100, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotgiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for TB/HIV and TB Elimination, University of Brescia, Brescia 25123, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sulis
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for TB/HIV and TB Elimination, University of Brescia, Brescia 25123, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matteelli
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D060740:Disease Eradication / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014944:World Health Organization