[Notification Status and Characteristics of Foreign Tuberculosis Cases in the Gyeongnam Region during 2017-2023].

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the foreign tuberculosis (TB) cases in the Gyeongnam region (Busan metropolitan city, Ulsan metropolitan city, Gyeongsangnam-do; Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam) following the 2016 TB control policy implementation to improve TB management among foreign populations. Methods: Between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2023, 941 foreign TB cases were recorded in the Gyeongnam region. Results: In the Gyeongnam region, foreign TB notifications initially dropped from 180 in 2017 but later increased by 30 (35.3%) in 2023. Notably, Ulsan exhibited the highest foreign TB proportion (4.5%), followed by Gyeongnam (4.3%) and Busan (1.9%). Of the 941 patients, 85.9% were aged 20-50 years and 97.9% (921) were from high-TB-burden countries. In 2023, multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant TB incidence rate was approximately 3.2-times higher among foreigners (8.7%) than among Koreans. Over seven years, treatment interruption rate among foreign patients with TB in the Gyeongnam region (18.8%) was approximately 8.5-times higher than the national average (2.2%). Among the 392 cases recorded in congregate settings, 81.6% occurred in workplaces and 13.3% in schools. Conclusions: The number of foreign TB cases in the Gyeongnam region declined following the implementation of the 2016 foreign TB control policy, with only a slight increase observed in 2023. Notably, most foreign cases were from high-TB-burden countries, underscoring the need for targeted TB management.