Trends of tuberculosis related mortality and hospital discharges before and after the implementation of the health sector reform, Colombia, 1985-1999

We describe the changes that have been presented in the tendencies of mortality and hospital discharges by tuberculosis (TB) between 1985-1999, period before and during the implementation of the Health Sector Reform (HSR) in Colombia. For it, we carried out an exploratory descriptive study with analysis of time series of hospital discharges and mortality rates of TB in Colombia. It was found that although starting from 1991 the Series approach stabilized, their tendencies showed a significant descent diminishing both in 30% between 1985 and 1990. The steady trend registered from 1991 to 1999, could be explained by deterioration of the primary care during this period, also due to other complex social processes occurred in Colombia during this decade, which barred the continuing the descent trend in hospital discharges and mortality due to TB previously registered. Due to the study design limitations we cannot establish causal relationships between these trends and the health sector reform in the country; we recommend the improvement the health sector performance about public health problems such as TB in order to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths due to causes responsive to health sector interventions.