Assessing tuberculosis under-reporting through inventory studies

Overview

Estimation of TB incidence is a major challenge in many countries due to under-reporting and under-diagnosis of TB cases. This guide describes and explains how to design, implement and analyze an inventory study to measure TB under-reporting. It also explains how to apply capture-recapture methods to estimate TB incidence.

The guide is intended for use by National TB Programme managers, researchers including epidemiologists and statisticians, and agencies that provide financial and technical support for inventory studies. Its aim is to catalyze many more inventory studies worldwide, leading to better measurement of the burden of TB disease and, in turn, better TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services.