Performance of algorithms for TB active case-finding in underserved high-prevalence settings in Cambodia: a cross-sectional study
- Authors
- Kimcheng Chouna , Tom Decroo b,c, Tan Eang Maod , Natalie Lorent , Lisanne Gerstel, Jacob Creswell g , Andrew J. Codling , Lutgarde Lynen b and Sopheak Thaia
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from an infectious disease, causing 1.6 million deaths in 2017 [1]. Although improved access to and quality of TB care have reduced TB-related mortality since 1990, more than one third of an estimated 10 million new cases of active TB remain undiagnosed every year, which is a major reason for the slow decline in TB incidence
major reason for the slow decline in TB incidence. Passive case finding alone, waiting for people to seek health care, will not suffice to stop transmission of TB in high prevalence settings. Active case finding (ACF), the screening and testing for TB among people not spontaneously presenting to health facilities, aims to reach more people, diagnose and treat TB earlier, and reduce the period of infectiousness. In settings with a high prevalence of undiagnosed TB, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends ACF for high risk groups, such as TB contacts and people living with HIV, and populations with poor access to health care, such as people living in remote areas or urban slums
