Cigarette smoking and tuberculosis are responsible for a large portion of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. According to WHO, tuberculosis is responsible for 2 million deaths per year, with 90% of these occurring in developing nations. Tobacco is responsible for three million deaths per year, which is projected to triple by the year 2030, with 7 million of these deaths occurring in developing nations (WHO 1997). Recent data from cohort and case-control studies suggests that the link between cigarette smoking and tuberculosis is strong and may satisfy the criteria for causality. Public health policies, programs, and strategies aimed at countering the effect of these two pandemics would need to be altered if this relationship is determined to be causal. An International Scientific Expert Meeting, co-sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Office on Smoking and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was held during November 2000 in India. The objective of this meeting was to establish whether scientific evidence exists to causally link cigarette smoking and tuberculosis. The scientific base for this causal link was assessed through the evaluation of epidemiological evidence from a number of ongoing studies, the strength of association between cigarette smoking and tuberculosis, and the overall relative risk of tuberculosis deaths among smokers. Building upon the proceedings from this meeting, this paper will discuss possible next steps towards advancing the scientific knowledge in this area, and draw attention to potential unexplored opportunities for the prevention and control of tobacco use and tuberculosis.
Learning Objectives: 1. The participant will be aware of and able to discuss the expert opinions on the interaction between cigarette smoking and tuberculosis. 2. The participants will be able to identify the steps needed to advance scientific knowledge in this area. 3. The participants will be able to recognize potential unexplored opportunities for the prevention and control of tobacco use and tuberculosis.
Keywords: Smoking, Tuberculosis
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.