Pulmonary tuberculosis in a hospital setting: Gender differences

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major public health problem and challenge despite control programmes being implemented worldwide. The global resurgence of TB has been accompanied by an increased frequency of multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB).1 In Malaysia, TB is among the top five communicable diseases reported, with 15,643, 14,820 and 14,389 cases reported in 2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively, and a mean mortality rate of 6.2/100,000 population.2 TB is a disease of major impact in Malaysia, and few data are available on gender differences of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in non-HIV-infected patients. The aim of this study was to improve understanding and management of this resurgent but curable disease. © 2006 The Royal Institute of Public Health.