tuberculosis control programmes are contributing to global efforts to strengthen health-information systems in low-income countries. Nearly all countries worldwide have introduced DOTS as modules within national health-information systems, with standardised and routine quarterly reporting, district-based registers, and patient cards held by facilities providing services. However, some former Soviet countries still retain parallel tuberculosis information systems. WHO is providing support for countries to strengthen routine reporting systems, increase data accuracy, and help rigorous surveys to be undertaken to monitor progress towards 2015 targets for tuberculosis control.