Medical Officer, Division of Chronic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan

 

There are 3 principles for TB infection control program in congregate settings: administrative measures, environmental controls and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Infection control itself is time and resource intensive, leading to unsatisfactory conditions for the execution of control measures. Heading to achieve the 2035 End TB goal, more emphasis will be put on the environment control after administrative measures and PPE.

 

With a decline in the incidence of TB from 72/100000 person year in 2016 to 39/100000 person year in 2018, TB transmissions in schools and health care settings are now routinely confined to some extent by using the strategies of contact investigation and preventive therapy. We therefore need to further tackle down the challenges of occupational safety in these settings.