BACKGROUND: Public-Private Mix (PPM), recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), was adapted to cope with tuberculosis (TB) epidemic worldwide. In many developing countries, PPM has played a powerful role in TB control, while in others it has however failed to achieve the expectations. Thus we performed a systematic review to draw the mechanisms used by, and evaluate the performance of global PPM programmes implemented in different countries. METHODS: Current publications of original studies until May 2014 were comprehensively searched in electronic databases and online resources, then screened using rigorous criteria. Descriptive information and outcomes evaluative data was extracted from eligible studies for synthesis and analysis. RESULTS: A total of 78 eligible studies were finally included and introduced 48 PPM TB programmes over the world, subsequently categorized into three mechanisms (Support, Contract and Multi-partners group) based on collaborative characteristics. Furthermore, we assessed the effectiveness of PPM programmes against six health system themes including utilization of directly observed therapy strategy (DOTS), case detection, treatment outcomes, case management, costs, access and equity, under different collaborative mechanisms. Analysis of comparative studies suggested that PPM could improve overall outcomes of TB service, and multiple collaborative mechanisms might significantly promote case detection, treatment, referral and service accessibility, especially in resource-limited areas. However, less positive outcomes of several programmes indicated that, limited funding and poor governance remained predominant restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: PPM is a promising strategy to strengthen global TB care and control but is affected by contextual characteristics over areas. A scaling-up PPM should contain essential commonalities, particularly for substantial financial support and continuous material inputs. Additionally, it is important to improve programme governance and training for involved health providers, through integrated collaborative mechanisms