Nursing professionals’ leading role in expanding the treatment for latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in Brazil

Brazil has made a high-level commitment to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) as a public health problem in the country by 2030 and, to achieve this goal, it becomes necessary to significantly expand investigation and treatment of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI), also known as Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT).Since the 1990s, the country has recommended investigating LTBI and TPT for contact children and people living with HIV; however, it was only in 2011 that this strategy was strengthened.Subsequently, following implementation of the Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) protocol in 2018, the Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde, MS) considered the strategy as a priority but, despite all efforts, there was still low supply of LTBI treatment by services in Brazil (1) .Considering the End TB strategy, the World Health Organization (WHO) establishes that the LTBI treatment is fundamental for eradicating TB in the world (2) , being important to expand LTBI actions to reduce morbidity and mortality due to tuberculosis and the consequent future incidence of the disease by reducing the number of cases, particularly among contacts, immunocompromised people and the population living with HIV/AIDS.Hence the importance of increasing the LTBI strategy in Brazil and, thus, eradicating TB as a public health problem by 2035 (3) .To meet and achieve the operational goals (national and international) proposed in the National TB-Free Plan (3) , the importance of Brazilian Nursing in recent decades is How to cite this article