Social research as an intervention tool in tuberculosis control.

Our multidisciplinary project on TB control in the Free State, South Africa, is targeting two dimensions for intervention: firstly, patients, to facilitate compliance and improve quality of care; secondly, the health care system, to identify weaknesses that require remedying and best practices to promote better TB control. This communication illustrates how social scientists can contribute towards the implementation of interventions related to their research, thus influencing TB policy, programme planning and practice more directly.