People with active tuberculosis (TB) and their relatives in the WHO European Region were interviewed to commemorate World TB Day 2005. The interviews focused on countries where the problem is biggest; TB has reached epidemic proportions in most countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Romania.
To protect the privacy of the people interviewed, their names are not given or their countries identified.
In the WHO European Region, hundreds of thousands of people develop active TB every year and tens of thousands die. Although TB is preventable and curable, its resurgence has created a Region-wide emergency. The causes include a breakdown in the public health and social infrastructures.
WHO recommends a comprehensive and proven strategy to control TB called DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course). Fortunately, most countries in the European Region are beginning to adopt the DOTS strategy, but increased funding and political commitment are needed to control the epidemic.
The European Region faces special challenges in controlling TB:
 | Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) | |
| HIV coinfection | |
| Tuberculosis (TB) in prisons | |
| Stigma | |
