Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The management of tuberculosis has been the subject of renewed interest in France. Recently, the recommendations and the regulations concerning the disease have been updated. However, the resources that are actually available and the processes in place in different French departments are not clearly known. A national survey was thus carried out by a working group of the SPLF in charge of the recommendations concerning the medical, social and administrative management of the disease. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to the 100 French departmental Antituberculous Services (SLAT). This explored the structures, activity, organisation involved, and difficulties encountered in Tuberculosis management. RESULTS: Ninety SLAT took part in the study. Their answers reveal: a discordance between a number of cases notified to the Department of Sanitation and Health (DDASS) and the number of cases known to the SLAT; a disparity between means involved in this study and the number of patients followed up as well as the choice of populations targeted for tracing); a willingness to deal with contact tracing although the investigations around individual cases and the definition of which subjects should be followed up were variable; a demand for protocols, networks and national recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: The SLAT are involved in the fight against tuberculosis with 20 years experience. The needs expressed in this survey point the way towards future prioritary actions to improve tuberculosis control nationally.