ABSTRACT
Drugs that can cure most tuberculosis (TB) patients have been available since the 1950s, yet TB remains the world’s second most important cause of death from an infectious agent, after the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (1). TB control is high on the international public health agenda, not just because of theenormous burden of the disease, but also because short-course chemotherapy is recognized to be among the most cost effective of all health interventions (2-4). This evidence has been central to the global promotion of the DOTS strategy, the package of measures combining best practices in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with active TB, in which direct observation during treatment is a key element (5,6).
