[A summarized unofficial version of the press release]

Government, Medical Institutions, and Academia Unite to Discuss Public-Private Mix TB Control Project Outcomes: A Key to National TB Control

- Central and local governments, medical institutions, and academic societies gathered for the "Korean National Public-Private Mix Tuberculosis Control Project Conference.".

- During the conference, outstanding achievements in tuberculosis (TB) management were recognized, with awards presented to leading public health centers and medical institutions. Participants shared outcomes of the Public-Private Mix (PPM) TB control project and explored strategies for further development.

Osong, 14th November 2024 – The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), in collaboration with the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (KATRD), hosted the "the 2024 Korean National Public-Private Mix (PPM) Tuberculosis Control Project Conference" on Tuesday, November 5.

Launched in 2011, the Public-Private Mix (PPM) TB Control Project is a collaborative initiative between the government and private medical institutions that aims to ensure comprehensive management of TB patients throughout their treatment. This project has played a significant role in reducing TB incidence in Korea.

 * In 2023, 81.2% of TB patients received treatment at 187 medical institutions participating in the PPM project.

 * TB cases have decreased from 50,491 in 2011 to 19,540 in 2023, representing a 61.3% reduction.

Figure 1. TB notification cases and rates in Korea, 2001-2023

At the conference, the KDCA honored 10 local governments and 14 medical institutions for their exemplary efforts in TB management over the past year. Recognized activities included patient management, personalized patient case management, patient notification and reporting, epidemiological investigations, and family contact tracing.

* Top-excellence awarded public health centers included those in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do; Seo-gu, Daegu; Gyeyang-gu, Incheon; Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do; and Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.

A symposium was held during the event to discuss the achievements and future directions of the national TB control program and share patient management cases. Additionally, team leaders responsible for TB control from KDCA and 17 cities and provinces convened to discuss action plans for the effective implementation of the Third National Strategic Plan for TB Control in Korea (2023-2027).

In 2024, the KDCA introduced a shorter treatment regimen for multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB), significantly reducing the treatment period. The agency also enhanced personalized case management for TB patients, offering tailored support from diagnosis and medication to welfare services and specialized care.

 * The treatment period for people with MDR/RR-TB has been reduced from 18-20 months to 6-9 months, now one-third of the original period.

Despite continued efforts to improve treatment success rates through long-term management of approximately 20,000 TB patients annually, challenges remain due to the rising number of patients aged 65 and older, as well as foreign patients, necessitating additional resources and investment.

 * The treatment success rate for multidrug-resistant TB improved from 71.9% in 2016 to 77.4% in 2021.

"The proportion of elderly and foreign patients is on the rise, a trend we expect to continue," said Dr. Youngmee Jee, Commissioner of the KDCA. "This challenging trend requires more than short-term solutions, but by leveraging our experience with public-private partnerships, we can continue to make progress in the fight against TB together," she added.

* For detailed information, please refer to the press release written in the Korean language in the file attached below.