Evidence based interventions and implementation gaps in control of tuberculosis: A systematic review in low and middle-income countries with special focus on India

We synthesised the findings of intervention studies on Tuberculosis control (TC) in low- and middle-income countries with specific reference to India through a systematic review during the period 2000-2017 in order to identify the implementation gap. The research questions were framed using PICOS (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes and study design) framework and PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines were used for study selection. The search was mainly carried out in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Knowledge and Cochrane libraries. DOTS was found to be the most effective intervention program for control of Tuberculosis. Lack of utilization of the capacity of various level health staff, accessibility in utilizing health facilities and insufficient community involvement was identified as the major gaps for TC. In the case of India, each state has its own priority and applicability for different TC interventions. Most of the studies on implementation of the TC program supported the encouraging effect of the intervention in the control of Tuberculosis. The specific need of each country is clearly reflected in many of the selected studies. In order to establish the association of intervention and its implementation gaps on TB control, more rigorous evaluation methods are needed including meta-analysis. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018070406.