The tuberculosis mortality rate is the most informative epidemiological indicator. Tuberculosis mortality in the Sverdlovsk Region in 1989-1996 directly, closely, and significantly correlated with tuberculosis morbidity and general mortality. The structure of manpower losses caused by premature tuberculosis mortality due to antituberculosis work defects included one third of losses associated with the defects of antituberculosis work, about one fourth of those with the general therapeutical network, one tenth of those with sanitary epidemiological surveillance centers and another approximately one third with failure of detection and treatment of patients with tuberculosis.