Community-based treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Lima, Peru: 7 years of experience

Programs implementing community-based directly observed therapy (DOT) have demonstrated success in the treatment of patients with tuberculosis. However, given complexities in the management and treatment of patients infected with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the utilization of community-based DOT to treat MDR-TB patients has only recently been successfully attempted. We describe the first such program and highlight the crucial components and most critical challenges to creating a successful community-based MDR-TB treatment program. Keywords: Tuberculosis; Community-based treatment; Non-governmental organizations; Directly observed therapy; Multidrug-resistance; Peru