Tuberculosis is a curable disease, yet it is the largest single infectious cause of death among adults in the world. India accounts for one-third of the global TB burden. Its economic burden in India is enormous as it perpetuates and exacerbates poverty. The revised national Tuberculosis Control Programme (the DOTS Strategy) is currently being implemented in India. The purpose of this study was to compare the costs to tuberculosis patients treated in a DOTS Programme with the costs to patients treated in a non-DOTS Programme in south India.
Patients registered between June and December 2000 (455 in DOTS area, 441 in non-DOTS area) in Tiruvallur district were interviewed, collecting information on demographics, socio-economic characteristics of patients, expenditure incurred due to illness, and effect of illness on employment.
Results showed that in the DOTS area, treatment success rate was higher, patient costs were less, and patients returned to work early. These findings establish the economic benefits to patients treated under DOTS and lend support to rapid expansion of the programme, particularly in low-income countries.
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