Tuberculosis (TB) detection and treatment in low and middle-income countries appears to be affected by the type of healthcare provider. Researchers from Vietnam, Sweden and the Netherlands studied the care provided by Vietnam's national tuberculosis programme (NTP) and private providers (PPs). In a second study they assessed the potential for collaboration between the private and public sectors in the battle against TB.

It has been argued that PPs can play an important role in the delivery of TB programmes by offering high quality care, whilst allowing governments to devote more resources to essential public services. But how effective is private care? In the first study researchers carried out a comparative analysis of PPs and NTP provision in Vietnam. They found that treatment outcome for TB was better in the public rather than in the private sector.

The second study assessed the impact of a collaborative effort between the private and the public sectors on TB detection, while treatment outcome within the public-private mix (PPM) is presently being evaluated. The PPM achieved an increased detection of TB. Overall, both pieces of research found that:

Source(s):
‘Private tuberculosis care provision associated with poor treatment outcome – a comparative study of a semi-private lung clinic and the national tuberculosis control programme in two urban districts of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’, by K. Lonnroth et al., 2003
‘Public-private mix for improved TB control in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: an assessment of impact on case detection’, International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, by H.T. Quy et al., 2003 (in press)

Funded by: Swedish International Development Authority Sida/SAREC; The Royal Tuberculosis Association of the Netherlands (KNCV); Global Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research; Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS)

id21 Research Highlight: 4 March 2003

Further Information:
Knut Lonnroth
Department of Social Medicine
Goteborg University
P.O. Box 453
SE-413 46 Goteborg
Sweden

Tel: +46 31 7736867
Contact the contributor: knut.lonnroth@socmed.gu.se

Goteborg University, Sweden

Other related links:
'An unlikely couple? Linking private and public sectors in TB control'

'Softening the blow – does health insurance reduce costs for Vietnam’s poor?'

See id21's collection of links relevant to infectious diseases.