Research Article 
Fulath Abdul-Redah Muhsen1, Kareem G. Mohamed2*, Abdullah O. Alhatami3
Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the detection rate and treatment outcomes among TB patients in Al-Najaf TB center and compare these outcomes with WHO targets. Cohort study was conducted during the period between January 2012 – December 2012, for patients attending TB center in AL-Najaf Province, the collected data were analyzed for treatment and retreatment outcomes, treatment and retreatment success rates. 162 TB cases were enrolled in the present study; the patients were distributed according to age into seven age groups. The young and middle age groups showed higher frequencies of cases (20.4% and 23.5%, respectively) than other age groups. The male to female ratio was 1.7:1. The case detection rate was 34.6% as only 56 out of 162 cases were sputum-smear positive for AFB, and they were followed in the present study. Treatment outcomes: cured, completed treatment, defaulter, treatment failure, died and transfer out) of 56 patients are (69.6%, 9%, 16%, 3.6%, 0.0% and1.8%) respectively, whereas Retreatment outcomes (cured, completed treatment, defaulter, treatment failure, died and transfer out) are (50%, 0.0%, 50%, 0.0%, 0.0%, 0.0%) respectively. The DOTS treatment success rate 75% and the retreatment success rate was 49%. We concluded that all the estimations of detection rate, success rate of treatment and retreatment outcomes were lower than that of WHO targets.
Keywords: Tuberculosis, DOTS programme