title: Breaking the barriers: Migrants and tuberculosis.
abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) can represent an important clinical and public health in developing and developed countries. Low- and middle-income countries are facing an epidemic which is difficult to address because of the drug-resistance spread and the association of TB with HIV/AIDS. High-income countries, whose TB incidence has decreased in the last decades, can be involved in new TB epidemic waves owing to social, healthcare, and economic hurdles and challenges. In particular, migrants coming from high TB incidence countries can represent a new epidemiological issue in the TB care and control in geographical areas where primary care and specialized centres are not equipped to face the clinical and public health issues associated with the TB disease. The healthcare management of individuals with a latent TB infection or the TB disease is heterogeneous and different policies are in place in Europe, and, specifically, in EU countries. Scientific evidence on how to early and efficiently detect TB cases is missing, as well as diagnostic tools to diagnose those who have latent TB infection do not show adequate accuracy. Countries like Greece and Italy have political difficulties in the management of migrants and the poor living conditions in the migration centres can increase the probability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission. A clear advocacy and political commitment are urgently required. The current migration trends represent a threat from a human and a healthcare perspective. New homogeneous and target-oriented policies and strategies are needed to improve the health of the migrant and of the autochthonous populations.
authors.affiliation: University of Sassari, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotgiu
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dara
authors.affiliation: Maugeri Care and Research Institute, IRCCS, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Tradate, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Centis
authors.affiliation: University of Brescia, WHO Collaborating Centre for TB/HIV and TB elimination, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Piazzale Spedali Civili, 1, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matteelli
authors.affiliation: National Institute for TB, Lung Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Vysne Hagy, Catholic University Ruzomberok, Ruzomberok, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Solovic
authors.affiliation: Evgenidio Hospital, University Respiratory Medicine Unit, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gratziou
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Monterrey, Center for Research, Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Infections, Monterrey, Mexico.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rendon
authors.affiliation: Maugeri Care and Research Institute, IRCCS, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Tradate, Italy. Electronic address: giovannibattista.migliori@icsmaugeri.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Battista Migliori
mesh_terms: D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011203:Poverty; D011634:Public Health; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012924:Social Conditions; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission