Objective  To understand the spatial distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in the elderly in Inner Mongolia Autonomous region, identify the areas with high incidence of pulmonary TB, and provide evidence for the development of pulmonary TB prevention and control measures.

  Methods  The registered data of pulmonary TB in the elderly in 105 banners (counties and districts) of Inner Mongolia from 2016 to 2020 were collected. Combined with the vectorized provincial boundary electronic map of China, spatial analysis method was used to analyze the spatiotemporal clustering.

  Results   From 2016 to 2020, the annual registered rate of pulmonary TB in the elderly in Inner Mongolia was 126.2/100 000, and the highest registered rate was 163.6/100 000 in 2018.The male to female ratio of the cases was 1.5∶1, lower than that in those under 65 years old (2.2∶1); The three-dimensional trend chart showed a sharp decline and a slow increase from the west to the east, and a gradual increase from the north to the south for the annual registration rate of pulmonary TB in the elderly in Inner Mongolia from 2016 to 2020. The spatial autocorrelation showed that there was a positive spatial correlation in pulmonary TB registration rate in the elderly in Inner Mongolia in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020, and the Moran I were 0.180, 0.188, 0.260 and 0.239 (P<0.05). The high-high clustering areas were in Ejin banner and Right banner of Alxa league, Linhe district and Wuyuan county of Bayan Nur, and Guyang county of Baotou (P<0.05). The spatiotemporal scanning results showed that there were 5 clustering areas covered 9 districts, the first type of clustering area covered 5 districts in western area with Urad Middle banner as the center during 2017−2018. The pulmonary TB registration rate in the elderly in this area was 3.235 times higher than that in neighboring areas (RR=3.235).

  Conclusion  In 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020, the pulmonary TB registration rate in the elderly in Inner Mongolia showed spatial clustering distribution, and the clustering areas were mainly in the western area. The prevention and control of tuberculosis in the elderly in the western area should be strengthened.