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KMID : 0613620170370040179
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Health Social Welfare Review
2017 Volume.37 No. 4 p.179 ~ p.212
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Tuberculosis Control in the Republic of Korea
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Cho Kyung-Sook
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Abstract
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A literature review was conducted to investigate various tuberculosis (TB) control programs for the prevention, early detection and management of TB, as well as the TB incidence and mortality rates in the Republic of Korea. The results of the review revealed that the TB incidence rate and mortality rate in the Republic of Korea are 80 and 5.1 per 100,000 people respectively, which are the highest among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Recently, the Republic of Korea’s TB incidence decreased dramatically among people in their teens and twenties. This is largely attributed to the contact investigation efforts in targeting schools over the past few years. However, the TB incidence in the elderly still remains high and is even increasing compared to the past 10 years. Older persons account
for 40% of all TB cases and 78% of deaths due to TB. On the other hand, the Republic of Korea’s TB treatment success rate has gradually increased due to various programs, such as directly observed treatment, insurance coverage for treatment, and TB public-private mix models. This study suggests that policy makers should focus their efforts on the following policies to achieve a significant reduction in TB incidence. The diagnosis and treatment of latent TB infection as a preventive therapy should be considered for the high-risk groups on the evidence-based recommendation (guideline). Furthermore, efforts are needed to improve the quality of contact investigation, as well as provide TB control programs for high-risk groups, such as the elderly individuals, immigrants from high TB burden countries, and homeless persons. The government should also strive to treat TB in vulnerable patients, and those who are poor adherents or multidrug-resistant TB patients.
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KEYWORD
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Tuberculosis (TB), TB Incidence, TB Mortality, Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI), Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB), TB Control
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