Currently, the standard short-course chemotherapy for tuberculosis comprises a6-month regimen, with a four-drug intensive phase and a two-drug continuation phase. Alternativechemotherapy using more costly and toxic drugs, often for prolonged durations generally. 18 months, is required for multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.Directly observed treatment, as part of a holistic care programme, is a cost-effective strategy toensure high treatment success and curtail development of drug resistance in tuberculosis. Newantituberculosis drugs are urgently needed to improve the present standard short-course andalternative chemotherapies, by shortening administration durations and increasing cure rates,through the greater potency of these agents. At the same time, the role of adjunctive surgery fordrug-resistant tuberculosis has to be better defined. Immunotherapy might improve treatmentoutcomes of both drug-susceptible and -resistant tuberculosis, and warrants further exploration.