TY - JOUR
T1 - Tuberculosis care among refugees arriving in Europe
T2 - A ERS/WHO Europe Region survey of current practices
AU - Dara, Masoud
AU - Solovic, Ivan
AU - Sotgiu, Giovanni
AU - D'Ambrosio, L.
AU - Centis, Rosella
AU - Tran, Richard
AU - Goletti, Delia
AU - Duarte, Raquel
AU - Aliberti, Stefano
AU - De Benedictis, Fernando Maria
AU - Bothamley, G.
AU - Schaberg, T.
AU - Abubakar, Ibrahim
AU - Teixeira, Vitor
AU - Ward, Brian
AU - Gratziou, Christina
AU - Migliori, Giovanni Battista
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - No evidence exists on tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI) management policies among refugees in European countries. A questionnaire investigating screening and management practices among refugees was sent to 38 national TB programme representatives of low and intermediate TB incidence European countries/ territories of the WHO European Region. Out of 36 responding countries, 31 (86.1%) reported screening for active TB, 19 for LTBI, and eight (22.2%) reporting outcomes of LTBI treatment. Screening for TB is based on algorithms including different combinations of symptom-based questionnaires, bacteriology and chest radiography and LTBI screening on different combinations of tuberculin skin test and interferon-? release assays. In 22 (61.1%) countries, TB and LTBI screening are performed in refugee centres. In 22 (61.1%) countries, TB services are organised in collaboration with the private sector. 27 (75%) countries answered that screening for TB is performed as per national and international guidelines, while 19 (52.7%) gave the same answer with regards to LTBI screening. Infection control measures are inadequate in several of the countries surveyed. There is need for improved coordination of TB screening in Europe to implement the End TB Strategy and achieve TB elimination.
AB - No evidence exists on tuberculosis (TB) and latent TB infection (LTBI) management policies among refugees in European countries. A questionnaire investigating screening and management practices among refugees was sent to 38 national TB programme representatives of low and intermediate TB incidence European countries/ territories of the WHO European Region. Out of 36 responding countries, 31 (86.1%) reported screening for active TB, 19 for LTBI, and eight (22.2%) reporting outcomes of LTBI treatment. Screening for TB is based on algorithms including different combinations of symptom-based questionnaires, bacteriology and chest radiography and LTBI screening on different combinations of tuberculin skin test and interferon-? release assays. In 22 (61.1%) countries, TB and LTBI screening are performed in refugee centres. In 22 (61.1%) countries, TB services are organised in collaboration with the private sector. 27 (75%) countries answered that screening for TB is performed as per national and international guidelines, while 19 (52.7%) gave the same answer with regards to LTBI screening. Infection control measures are inadequate in several of the countries surveyed. There is need for improved coordination of TB screening in Europe to implement the End TB Strategy and achieve TB elimination.
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U2 - 10.1183/13993003.00840-2016
DO - 10.1183/13993003.00840-2016
M3 - Article
VL - 48
SP - 808
EP - 817
JO - European Journal of Respiratory Diseases
JF - European Journal of Respiratory Diseases
SN - 0903-1936
IS - 3
ER -