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Free Content Ethics and benefits of systematic screening for active tuberculosis

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Systematic screening for active tuberculosis (TB) provides public health benefits and is part of the End TB Strategy. However, two of WHO's generic principles for screening for disease state that the natural history of the disease in question must be well understood and that there must be benefits to earlier treatment. TB fulfills the first of these only in part, the other has been less well documented. This paper considers the ethical implications of uncertain individual benefits from screening and the current research gaps.

Keywords: End TB Strategy; case finding; diagnostic

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Eschborn, Germany 2: Global Health, Bioethics and Health Policy, Bhopal, India 3: Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, Australia

Publication date: 01 May 2020

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  • The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD) is for clinical research and epidemiological studies on lung health, including articles on TB, TB-HIV and respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, asthma, COPD, child lung health and the hazards of tobacco and air pollution. Individuals and institutes can subscribe to the IJTLD online or in print – simply email us at [email protected] for details.

    The IJTLD is dedicated to understanding lung disease and to the dissemination of knowledge leading to better lung health. To allow us to share scientific research as rapidly as possible, the IJTLD is fast-tracking the publication of certain articles as preprints prior to their publication. Read fast-track articles.

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