Abstract

This study examines the status of TB patients with the data of regional TB meetings held in the year 2001. This study covers Black Sea and Marmara Regions, and Aegean Region other than İzmir and West part of Mediterranean Region; 108 dispensaries serving for 25 174 389 population; patients registered in 1999 were analyzed. Experienced physicians visited dispensaries to collect these data. Incidence in these regions was 36.46 in 100 000 with total 9 179 cases, incidence of 3 699 smear positive cases was 14.69. Among cases, 91.1% was new and 8.9% were old. Biggest number of patients were between 15-44 years old groups, but incidence shows nearly horizontal lines after 15 years in all age groups on graphics. Cases of extrapulmonary TB were 2 084 (22.7%). Among pulmonary tuberculosis cases 3 699 of 7 095 (52.2%) were smear positive and smear was not done in 1,812 (25.5%). Treatment results in new and old cases were as follows respectively: treatment success, 82.4% and 65.7%; treatment interruption, 8.2% and 19.0%; death 2.3% and 5.0%; cure rate in smear positive cases were 36.8% and 30.5%. Treatment success in all cases were 80.9%. There were 3.54 contacts per patient and 71.8% of them were examined. These findings reveal that there are data about TB patients in dsypensaries and regular collection of these data is possible; bacteriological examination should cover all patients; treatment success rates should be increased. As a conclusion, although these are good data, we can see that TB control in these regions did not reach the World Health Organisation’s targets.