National Tuberculosis Control Programme 2006. Helsinki 2006. 144pp. (Publications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland, ISSN 1236-2050, 2006:21) ISBN 952-00-2120-5 (paperback), ISBN 952-00-2121-3 (PDF)

Tuberculosis is a communicable disease that is most frequently found in lungs. The disease can however be found in any organ of the human body, and its clinical findings vary greatly. Infections are spread in particular by those persons with tuberculosis of the respiratory system whose sputa contain a great amount of tuberculosis bacteria. Tuberculosis is not easily transmitted; about 30 per cent of the close contacts become carriers of tuberculosis (latent tuberculosis infection). Among carriers with normal immune response about 10 per cent will contract active tuberculosis during their lives. In the prevention of tuberculosis it is most important to identify these persons as early as possibly, to isolate the infectious persons, and to treat the identified cases.

In Finland tuberculosis is concentrated in risk groups. Treatment of elderly people suffering from several diseases, substance abusers, and those suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis is especially challenging. In Finland´s neighbouring areas in Russia and the Baltic states, drug-resistant tuberculosis is increasingly a problem. Increasing travelling and migration from both neighbouring areas and farther off can influence the tuberculosis situation in Finland.

The Tuberculosis Control Programme has the following objectives:

(a) identification of diseased persons as early as possible; (b) efficient treatment, successful treatment in 80 per cent of those with infectious pulmonary tuberculosis; (c) efficient prevention of new infections; (d) reducing the risk of contracting the disease; and (e) improved knowledge and skills of health care staff.

The following methods are proposed to attain the above-mentioned objectives: (a) increasing the knowledge of the population and health care staff of the symptoms and risk factors of the disease, (b) provision of treatments in accordance with care recommendations, in problematic cases consulting with a national expert group; (c) provision of directly observed treatment will be increased; (d) measures aimed at risk groups will be intensified and infection control at hospitals improved; (e) investigation and examination of those exposed to infection will be started immediately and mini-epidemics will be got under control as soon as possible; (f) the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection will prevent development of the disease in those with a high risk of contracting it and with a good adherence to treatment; g) BCG vaccination of risk groups will prevent in particular serious types of tuberculosis in children; (h) the tuberculosis monitoring system will be improved; (i) the operational research on tuberculosis will be increased; and (j) international co-operation in tuberculosis control will be continued.

In Finland, the tuberculosis control is based on statutory division of labour between health care actors. An effective grading of work presupposes a good flow of information and co-operation between different health care actors in primary and specialised health care. In primary health care the contact persons for communicable diseases are in charge of the implementation of control actions and conveying information, act as contact persons for training and promote co-operation i.a. with the municipal social service and non-governmental organisations. The hospital districts should appoint persons responsible for regional know-how and draw up hospital district specific guidelines by the end of 2007. In the treatment of patients, specialised medical care is responsible for treatment as a whole and primary health care in particular for the provision of directly observed treatment. The National Public Health Institute is the national expert organisation. Monitoring of and research on tuberculosis should be developed in the near future.

Compared with previous practices, the most significant changes proposed in the Tuberculosis Control Programme are specific measures aimed at risk groups, more efficient prevention of tuberculosis transmission in institutions, appointing a national expert group, preparing guidelines for hospital districts, more effective supervision of treatment and co-ordination of monitoring, targeting of BCG vaccinations at risk groups, and increasing training and research.

Key words: communicable diseases, preventive health care, primary health care, programmes, specialised medical care, tuberculosis