[Study on epidemic trend and control policy of tuberculosis in Sichuan province].

Objective: To evaluate efficacy of tuberculosis control policy and provide scientific evidence for drawing up tuberculosis control program.

Methods: Data of the epidemiological survey for tuberculosis in Sichuan in 2000 were analyzed and part of the results were compared with that before.

Results: The prevalence of active pulmonary tuberculosis, the bacteriological positive prevalence and smear positive prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis in 2000 were 544/100 000, 250/100 000 and 144/100 000, respectively, decreased by 41.8%, 30.0% and 35.0% respectively in comparison with 1990, and the annual reduction rates were 5.3%, 3.5% and 4.2% respectively during the past 10 years. The mortality of tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis was 24/100 000 and 22/100 000, respectively, decreased by 20.0% and 12.0% respectively in comparison with 1990. The prevalence of tuberculosis in minority area and mountainous area were higher than that in city, countryside and hills. 71% of infectious patients were newly detected, 33.3% of which were re-treatment cases. The economic status was found the key factor affecting the implementation of tuberculosis control.

Conclusions: The modern tuberculosis control strategy, which mainly targeted infectious patients and advocated DOTS policy, is the guarantee of sustainable development of tuberculosis control, though the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis decreased slowly in Sichuan during the past 10 years.