New Technologies for TB Control in Migrating Population

Abstract

According to the 2017 Development Report of migrating Population in China, the migrating population in China reached 245 million in 2016, accounting for 18% of the total population. In the next decade or two, China is still in the rapid development stage of urbanization. According to the implementation of the National New Urbanization Planning, there are still more than 200 million migrating population in China by 2020. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the population continues to aggregate in the large delta areas, coastal areas, and major transportation areas, and the population of mega-cities and metropolis continues to grow. The migrating population is characterized by high mobility, poor awareness about health, high incidence of TB, and difficult treatment and management after the occurrence of TB. Therefore, the migrating population is vulnerable to TB epidemic. Since 2006, TB epidemic in migrating population has gained focused attention from Chinese government. Previous surveys have found that the new registry rates of TB and smear-positive TB in the migrating population in large cities of China are higher than those in the local population [1]. In Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, and other large cities, surveys found that the increase of patients with TB in the migrating population is the main reason for the high number of TB in these large cities [2]. There are also studies showing that the estimated incidence of active TB in China in 2014 is 64 per 0.1 million, while the estimated incidence of TB in the migrating population is 85 per 0.1 million. The proportion of trans-regionally managed patients with TB in the migrating population is much higher than that in the non-migrating population. Meanwhile, the percentage of unknown prognosis in patients with TB is 8–9% nationwide, and most of these patients are trans-regionally managed patients [3]. Migrating patients with TB have been a bridge for the spread of TB from high-prevalence areas to low-prevalence areas. The TB control in migrating population is one of the three challenges in TB control in China.