Doing things right and knowing what's happening in tuberculosis

•A solid technical basis is required for physicians working in tuberculosis control.•Interventions for tuberculosis must be efficacious, effective, and efficient.•The key intervention in tuberculosis is evidence-based chemotherapy.•Operations research assists the continuous evaluation of the functionality of national tuberculosis control programs.•Surveillance is the “royal discipline” of public health and key to knowing what is happening in tuberculosis.