Tuberculosis is once more a subject of world wide preoccupation; since
1985 a disturbing recrudescence of this disease has been noted in num
erous countries related to population growth and the worsening of pove
rty in those countries without natural resources, and disadvantaged gr
oups living on the margins of society in rich countries, along with th
e occurrence of an epidemic of HIV (VIH). In numerous developed countr
ies where tuberculosis no longer represents a public health problem, t
he care services have little by little been closed or re-oriented and
the principles of treatment of tuberculosis have been forgotten. The d
irect consequence of this has often been inadequate treatment and its
corollary; the emergence of strains multiresistant to Isoniazid and Ri
fampicin. If the current epidemiological tendencies are confirmed and
no supplementary action is taken, the WHO (OMS) has estimated that dur
ing the ten years between 1990 and the millennium there will be 88 mil
lion new cases of tuberculosis and 30 million people will die of tuber
culosis. However the tendencies can be reversed and tuberculosis could
still be eliminated. The struggle against tuberculosis is a world wid
e emergency and the hope of controlling the situation before an increa
se in multiresistant strains which would render the trend irreversible
, rests on a general application of correct and coherent national prog
rammes. Such a programme as the UICTMR model had already been carried
out as has the proof of their efficacy.