The management of tuberculosis in refugees along the Thai-Kampuchean border.

The treatment of tuberculosis in refugees living in campus along the Thai-Kampuchean border has remained a controversial issue since the beginning of the Khmer relief operation in 1979. During the 1984-85 dry season, war-related disruptions forced the evacuation of the 240,000 residents of 21 camps into evacuation sites in Thailand. Seven tuberculosis treatment programmes, using a fully supervised, daily protocol of isoniazid(H), rifampicin(R), pyrazinamide(Z) and streptomycin(S) 3 HRZS/HR, (6 months for pulmonary and 9 months for extrapulmonary tuberculosis), were able to continue operation, with acceptably low rates of default from therapy. During the 18 month period beginning in July 1984, 984 patients were started on treatment: 755 completed a full course while 86 defaulted. The programme design and organisation are described.