DOTS implementation in a post-war, United Nations-administered territory: Lessons from Kosovo

Abstract

Kosovo's success story is a collaborative tale, each partner involved playing a unique role in supporting NTP activities. The Kosovo example provides yet another setting in which DOTS implementation has resulted in successful patient outcomes. The international TB control community would be well-served by formal guidelines for implementing DOTS and the new STOP TB Strategy in these settings.

Tuberculosis Incidence and Case Notification Rates in Kosovo and the Balkans in 2012: Cross-country Comparison

“…Obviously, such disruption has taken its toll on the health status of the local population as well. For example, one of the health indicators that has been deteriorated concerns the considerable increase in the number of TB cases (8). Because of the country’s particular context and basically ruined health services, the issue of TB control and management has received much attention and resources, starting from 1999 (8) when the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) started to be established, virtually from scratch (8).…”

“…Because of the country’s particular context and basically ruined health services, the issue of TB control and management has received much attention and resources, starting from 1999 (8) when the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) started to be established, virtually from scratch (8). The intervention showed to be a success with the rate of all forms of TB falling steadily from 85.9/100,000 in 2000 to 48.5/100,000 population in 2005 and the same trend was observed regarding the rate of new sputum smear-positive TB cases from 20.2/100,000 in 2000 to 11.0/100,000 population in 2005 (8). Also, the treatment success rate showed a steady increase during this period from 35% of SS+ TB cases successfully cured in 2001 to 71% in 2004 (8).…”

Midterm-stage Follow-up for Tuberculosis Infection along the Coastal Region of Northern Miyagi after the Great East Japan Earthquake

“…After the war in Kosovo, the incidence of TB declined annually in all-forms, from 85.9 per 100,000 residents in 2000 to 52.9 cases per 100,000 residents in 2005, while that of new smear-positive pulmonary TB declined from 20.2 cases per 100,000 residents in 2000 to 11.0 cases per 100,000 in 2005 [9]. Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) was successfully implemented in Kosovo which showed that this strategy can be used to control TB, even when a region is rebuilding its political and healthcare infrastructure [9].…”

“…Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) was successfully implemented in Kosovo which showed that this strategy can be used to control TB, even when a region is rebuilding its political and healthcare infrastructure [9]. Throughout DOTS implementation in Kosovo, the program remained under "temporary" United Nation-administration and financial recovery [10].…”

Tuberculosis in a developing country — how much patients know about disease

“…At the same time, in Serbia, the incidence of TB increased from 28 per 100,000 to 37.6. A worsened epidemiological condition in Serbia was caused by wars and migrations of the population from their former places of residence (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo) [7][8][9][10][11].…”