%0 Journal Article %T The population treated with anti-tuberculosis agents in 2003: data from the general scheme of the French healthcare fund. %A Allenbach D %A Montagnier B %A Souche A %A Vallier N %J Revue M¨¦dicale de l'Assurance Maladie %D 2004 %I %X Aims: To determine the incidence and describe the distinctive features of the patient population which was reimbursed by the general scheme of the French healthcare fund in 2003 for an anti-tuberculosis treatment. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional survey using reimbursement data from the general scheme of the French health fund stricto sensu by enrolling patients who received reimbursement for at least three different therapeutic agents active against tuberculosis during the year 2003. Results: We studied a total of 6,471 patients. The incidence of patients who were reimbursed for an anti-tuberculosis treatment was 14.8 per 100,000 beneficiaries covered by the general scheme stricto sensu (43.6 million covered beneficiaries). The average age was 46 years and the male/female sex-ratio was 1.4. The disease incidence increased with age; the incidence at 75 years was 21.5 cases per 100,000 population. The peak incidence was in the 25-39 year age group in the two genders. Among all the regions in France, the Ile-de-France and Provence-Alpes-C te d¡¯Azur had the highest incidence. 24.6 % of all the patients studied were covered by universal health coverage. Nearly 90 % of the patients studied were given a classic treatment associating rifampicine, isoniazide, pyrazinamide with or without ethambutol. Conclusion: By using the healthfund¡¯s reimbursement data, we were able to gain direct access to pertinent information on tuberculosis, without having to actually question patients. This data can be added to information contained in the register of mandatory reportable diseases concerning tuberculosis and can thus help us to more closely follow patients with this disorder. %K tuberculosis %K anti-tuberculosis agents %K health insurance %K epidemiology %K France. %U http://www.ameli.fr/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Poupulation_traitee_par_antituberculeux.pdf