Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB

BACKGROUND: The proportion of persons with infectious TB that need to be cured to reduce prevalence is an important but not well characterized target for TB control. METHODS: We compared infectious TB prevalence from countries with two population-based surveys since 2000, accounting for persons rece...

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Main Authors: C.R. Horsburgh Jr., Helen E Jenkins, L. Martinez, L.F. White
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) 2025-06-01
Series:IJTLD Open
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Online Access:https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iuatld/ijtldo/2025/00000002/00000006/art00006
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author C.R. Horsburgh Jr.
Helen E Jenkins
L. Martinez
L.F. White
author_facet C.R. Horsburgh Jr.
Helen E Jenkins
L. Martinez
L.F. White
author_sort C.R. Horsburgh Jr.
collection DOAJ
description BACKGROUND: The proportion of persons with infectious TB that need to be cured to reduce prevalence is an important but not well characterized target for TB control. METHODS: We compared infectious TB prevalence from countries with two population-based surveys since 2000, accounting for persons receiving curative treatment and those dying or undergoing natural recovery. Annual incidence was estimated as the proportion of prevalence that, when applied to each year over the interval between the two surveys, yielded the observed second survey prevalence. We then determined the relationship between the proportion of people with TB cured and the change in prevalence in each of the years covered by the surveys. RESULTS: Achieving a decline in prevalence required curing at least 20% of those with infectious TB. None of the countries studied reached the 11% annual decline in prevalence required to yield the END TB goal of a 90% decrease in prevalence over 20 years; this would require diagnosing and curing 35-40% of people with prevalent TB each year. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide targets for achieving the goal of a 90% reduction in TB and indicate that active case finding will be required to reach these targets.
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spelling doaj-art-9be68a6e178d4423a37f44d2baeffb282025-08-20T02:39:29ZengInternational Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)IJTLD Open3005-75902025-06-012635235810.5588/ijtldopen.25.00146Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TBC.R. Horsburgh Jr.0Helen E Jenkins1L. Martinez2L.F. White3Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health Boston MA USA;Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston MA USA.Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health Boston MA USA;Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston MA USA.BACKGROUND: The proportion of persons with infectious TB that need to be cured to reduce prevalence is an important but not well characterized target for TB control. METHODS: We compared infectious TB prevalence from countries with two population-based surveys since 2000, accounting for persons receiving curative treatment and those dying or undergoing natural recovery. Annual incidence was estimated as the proportion of prevalence that, when applied to each year over the interval between the two surveys, yielded the observed second survey prevalence. We then determined the relationship between the proportion of people with TB cured and the change in prevalence in each of the years covered by the surveys. RESULTS: Achieving a decline in prevalence required curing at least 20% of those with infectious TB. None of the countries studied reached the 11% annual decline in prevalence required to yield the END TB goal of a 90% decrease in prevalence over 20 years; this would require diagnosing and curing 35-40% of people with prevalent TB each year. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide targets for achieving the goal of a 90% reduction in TB and indicate that active case finding will be required to reach these targets.https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iuatld/ijtldo/2025/00000002/00000006/art00006tuberculosistb prevalencetb reductiontb incidence
spellingShingle C.R. Horsburgh Jr.
Helen E Jenkins
L. Martinez
L.F. White
Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB
IJTLD Open
tuberculosis
tb prevalence
tb reduction
tb incidence
title Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB
title_full Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB
title_fullStr Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB
title_full_unstemmed Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB
title_short Data-driven targets for reducing the global burden of TB
title_sort data driven targets for reducing the global burden of tb
topic tuberculosis
tb prevalence
tb reduction
tb incidence
url https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/iuatld/ijtldo/2025/00000002/00000006/art00006
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