Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease, which is a significant global public health concern. The use of directly observed therapy of short course (DOTS) is the strategy recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to cure TB. In this paper, the effectiveness of the DOTS is assessed using data collected in 2014 from the Gazan Province, Saudi Arabia (SA). The assessment is impacted by migration from high prevalence countries into SA. The association between immigration and TB is not well documented and studied in the literature. We will address this problem and identify other factors influencing the success of DOTS. Methods: Descriptive methods are used in this study. The logistic regression model is used to identify significant factors of success or non-success of the DOTS. The data has missing observations. Multiple imputations were carried out to fill in missing outcomes and completed data sets are analyzed further. Results: The results show that none of the predictors have a significant role in treatment outcome. The cure rate for the study population is 90.3% after excluding defaulters and deportees. If we include 29 defaulters and 68 deportees assuming treatment failed for these cases, the cure rate is 67%, which is far below the WHO goal of 85%. After multiple imputations, the cure rate is 91.7%. Conclusions: Increasing number of migrants into low prevalence countries may affect TB epidemiology. In view of the huge gap, 67 versus 91.7% in the cure rates, we firmly recommend that health and immigration authorities in SA work together to see that TB treatment is completed before deportation. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

Surveillance tuberculosis DOTS Epidemiology Immigration

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