DOTS stands for "Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course" and is a major plank in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Plan to Stop TB. The DOTS strategy focuses on five main points of action. The first element of DOTS involves creating increased sustainable financial services and a short and long-term plan provided by the government, dedicated to eliminating tuberculosis.The World Health Organization helps encourage mobilized funding to reduce poverty standards that will prevent tuberculosis. The second component of the DOTS strategy is case detection, which involves improving the accuracy of laboratory tests for bacteriology and improving communication from labs to doctors and patients. Case detection means that laboratories that detect and test for bacteriology are accurate and communicative to its doctors and patients. The third strategy is to provide standard treatment and patient support. The guidelines to adhere to adequate treatment is to provide pharmaceutical drugs that will help eliminate tuberculosis and follow-up check-ups to ensure that tuberculosis is not a deterring factor in a patient's life. There are many cultural barriers as many patients might continue to work under unsanitary living conditions or not have enough money to pay for the treatments. Programs that provide stipends and incentives to allow citizens to seek treatment are also necessary. The fourth element to the DOTS approach is to have a management program that supplies a sustainable long-term supply of reliable antibiotics. Lastly, the fifth component is to record and monitor treatment plans in order to ensure that the DOTS approach is effective. The DOTS approach not only aims to provide structure for tuberculosis programs, but also to ensure that citizens diagnosed with tuberculosis adhere to protocols which will prevent future bacterial infections.