Is the directly observed therapy short course (DOTS) an effective strategy for tuberculosis control in a developing country?

ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of the directly observed therapy short course (DOTS) strategy in tuberculosis control in developing countries.MethodsSecondary data was searched to identify relevant publications. Databases, organizational websites and search engines were utilized. Sort criteria were then applied to further limit the articles used.ResultsA total of 50 articles were found. Abstracts of the 50 articles were then scrutinized and 26 that met the inclusion criteria were identified. Full length copies of these articles were obtained and analysed to extract salient details which were relevant to the research question.ConclusionsDOTS as a whole remains the cornerstone of tuberculosis control in developing countries. In the setting of high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection rates and HIV/tuberculosis co-infection, there is a pressing need to modify DOTS to increase its relevance.