OBJECTIVES: The aim of study to assess the costs and cost distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis in Ukraine from the perspective of public health care in Ukraine. METHODS: The direct medical costs, doctor consultations, laboratory and diagnostic tests, and hospitalizations were identified and calculated. Indirect costs due to lost productivity were also included. RESULTS: The data collected from 8867 patients in West regional pulmonary centre (sity Lviv) for 2000-2002 were analysed. The average cost per pulmonary tuberculosis patient per year was calculated at 835 UAH (€Euro = 6.1 UAH). The disribution of total costs is as follows: pharmacological treatment (42.5%), laborabory and diagnostic tests (8,2%), doctors' consultation (10,5%), hospitalization (26.4%) and productivity loss (12.4%). Indirect costs of pulmonary tuberculosis in Ukraine were much lower, because a social structure of patients on Ukraine has allowed to detect, that persons who were come back from places of an inference, - 10-20 %, the alcogolics - 20-50 %, the immigrants - 5-10 %, persons not having of normal housing conditions and living in hostels - 10-15 %. Theoretically the total burden of pulmonary tuberculosis on society per year amounts 28.1 million UAH (€4.6 million). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary tuberculosis represents an important economic burden for the Ukrainian population. An optimal allocation of expenditure for pharmacological treatment and hospitalization may contribute to a significant reduction of the total cost of pulmonary tuberculosis in Ukraine.