Aim: 1. To find out the differences between patients (pts) from WAA and the general population (GP) suffering from pTB. 2. To evaluate the proportion and characteristics of pts from WAA in pulmonary TB (pTB) hospital mortality rate. 3. To evaluate how many refugees (RE) and displaced persons consider TB as a social "stigma".
Methods: 1. Analysis of the medical files of pts with pTB--137 from WAA and 212 from the GP. 2. Analysis of clinical data of pts who died of pTB from 1990 to 1999. 3. A questionnaire about knowledge and social attitude towards TB.
Results: 1. The main characteristics of pts with pTB from WAA (both those who were dismissed from hospital and those with fatal outcome) are: male dominance, prolonged hospital treatment, high prevalence of relapses, very extended forms of the disease and presence of cavernous lesions on chest X-ray. 2. Deterioration of life conditions, impoverishment, demographic changes, shortage of anti-TB drugs and supplies for diagnosis led to increase hospital mortality rate of TB between 1990 and 1999 in NWYU (36% of all pts who died of TB in the mentioned period originated from WAA). 4. RE from former Yugoslavia consider TB more as a social "stigma" than the GP.
Conclusion: The prevention, treatment and follow up of pts with pTB from WAA must be a priority in the Yugoslav national TB programme.