Extract
Multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are growing threats to the goals of the END TB Strategy [1], causing substantial suffering and overwhelming costs for affected patients and families. Global treatment success for MDR/RR-TB is insufficient at only 59%. Germany has a low tuberculosis incidence (5.0 per 100 000) with 2.7% MDR-TB cases. Although resources are available, treatment success for these patients remains below World Health Organization (WHO) targets, according to national surveillance data [2]. However, long-term treatment outcomes are not systematically captured.
Abstract
Long-term outcomes of MDR/RR-TB with 3-year follow-up show 62% favourable outcomes in Germany. 26% were lost to follow-up or transferred. It was possible to categorise 95% of favourable outcomes as cured using the 2021 WHO outcome definitions. https://bit.ly/3bJnvfR
Acknowledgements
We thank Teresa Domaszewska and Barbara Hauer, Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Respiratory Infections Unit, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany, for their thoughtful comments on the national surveillance data.
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: All authors have nothing to disclose.
- Received April 11, 2022.
- Accepted August 4, 2022.
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