Closing gaps in the tuberculosis care cascade: an action-oriented research agenda

Barriers and enablers to people-centred viral hepatitis care in Vietnam and the Philippines: Results of a patient journey mapping study

In Vietnam and the Philippines, viral hepatitis is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. This study aims to understand the barriers and enablers of people receiving care for hepatitis B and C to support both countries' efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive, quota-based sample of 63 people living with hepatitis B or C in one province of Vietnam and one region of the Philippines. A rapid deductive approach to thematic analysis produced key findings among the three phases of care: (1) pre-awareness and testing, (2) linkage and treatment initiation and (3) ongoing treatment and recovery. The research found that participants followed five typical journeys, from a variety of entry points. Barriers during the pre-awareness and testing phase included limited awareness about hepatitis and its management, stigma and psychological impacts. Enablers included being familiar with the health system and/or patients benefiting from social connections within the health systems. During the linkage and treatment initiation phase, barriers included difficult physical access, complex navigation and inadequate counselling. In this phase, family support emerged as a critical enabler. During the ongoing treatment and recovery phase, the cost of care and socially and culturally informed perceptions of the disease and medication use were both barriers and enablers. Exploring peoples' journeys with hepatitis B and C in Vietnam and the Philippines revealed many similarities despite the different cultural and health system contexts. Insights from this study may help generate a contextualized, people-centred evidence base to inform the design and improvement of primary care services for hepatitis in both research sites.

Innovative COVID-19 Point-of-Care Diagnostics Suitable for Tuberculosis Diagnosis: A Scoping Review

Introduction

Rapid and accurate point-of-care (POC) tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics are a key priority to close the TB diagnostic gap of 3.1 million people without a diagnosis. Leveraging the recent surge in COVID-19 diagnostic innovation, we explored the potential adaptation of commercially available SARS-CoV-2 tests for TB diagnosis, aligning with World Health Organization (WHO) target product profiles (TPPs).

Methods

A scoping review was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines to systematically map commercially available POC molecular and antigen SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests potentially meeting the TPPs for TB diagnostic tests for peripheral settings. Data were gathered from PubMed/MEDLINE, bioRxiv, and medRxiv, along with publicly accessible in vitro diagnostic test databases, and developer websites, up to November 23, 2022. Data on developer and test attributes, operational characteristics, pricing, and clinical performance were charted using standardized data extraction forms. Each identified test was evaluated using a standardized scorecard. A narrative synthesis of the charted data is presented.

Results

Our database search yielded 2,003 studies, from which 408 were considered eligible. Among these, we identified 58 commercialized diagnostic devices, including 17 near-POC antigen tests, one POC molecular test, 29 near-POC molecular tests, and 11 low-complexity molecular tests. We summarized the detailed characteristics, regulatory status, and clinical performance data of these tests. The LumiraDx (Roche, Switzerland) emerged as the highest- scoring near-POC antigen platform, while Visby (Visby, USA) was the highest-performing near-POC molecular platform. The Lucira Check-It (Pfizer, USA) was noted as the sole POC molecular test. The Idylla TM (Biocartis, Switzerland) was identified as the leading low- complexity molecular test.

Discussion

We highlight a diverse landscape of commercially available diagnostic tests suitable for potential adaptation to TB POC testing. This work aims to bolster global TB initiatives by fostering stakeholder collaboration, leveraging COVID-19 diagnostic technologies for TB diagnosis, and uncovering new commercial avenues to tackle longstanding challenges in TB diagnosis.

Subclinical tuberculosis linkage to care and completion of treatment following community-based screening in rural South Africa

Background

Tuberculosis (TB), a leading cause of infectious death, is curable when patients complete a course of multi-drug treatment. Because entry into the TB treatment cascade usually relies on symptomatic individuals seeking care, little is known about linkage to care and completion of treatment in people with subclinical TB identified through community-based screening.

Methods

Participants of the Vukuzazi study, a community-based survey that provided TB screening in the rural uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal from May 2018 - March 2020, who had a positive sputum (GeneXpert or Mtb culture, microbiologically-confirmed TB) or a chest x-ray consistent with active TB (radiologically-suggested TB) were referred to the public health system. Telephonic follow-up surveys were conducted from May 2021 - January 2023 to assess linkage to care and treatment status. Linked electronic TB register data was accessed. We analyzed the effect of baseline HIV and symptom status (by WHO 4-symptom screen) on the TB treatment cascade.

Results

Seventy percent (122/174) of people with microbiologically-confirmed TB completed the telephonic survey. In this group, 84% (103/122) were asymptomatic and 46% (56/122) were people living with HIV (PLWH). By self-report, 98% (119/122) attended a healthcare facility after screening, 94% (115/122) started TB treatment and 93% (113/122) completed treatment. Analysis of electronic TB register data confirmed that 67% (116/174) of eligible individuals started TB treatment. Neither symptom status nor HIV status affected linkage to care. Among people with radiologically-suggested TB, 48% (153/318) completed the telephonic survey, of which 80% (122/153) were asymptomatic and 52% (79/153) were PLWH. By self-report, 75% (114/153) attended a healthcare facility after screening, 16% (24/153) started TB treatment and 14% (22/153) completed treatment. Nine percent (28/318) of eligible individuals had TB register data confirming that they started treatment.

Conclusions

Despite high rates of subclinical TB, most people diagnosed with microbiologically-confirmed TB after community-based screening were willing to link to care and complete TB treatment. Lower rates of linkage to care in people with radiologically-suggested TB highlight the importance of streamlined care pathways for this group. Clearer guidelines for the management of people who screen positive during community-based TB screening are needed.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44263-024-00059-0.

Exploring opportunities to strengthen rural tuberculosis health service delivery: a qualitative study with health workers in Tibet autonomous region, China

OBJECTIVES

This qualitative study aimed to explore opportunities to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) health service delivery from the perspectives of health workers providing TB care in Shigatse prefecture of Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

DESIGN

Qualitative research, semi-structured in-depth interviews.

SETTING

The TB care ecosystem in Shigatse, including primary and community care.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants: 37 semi-structured interviews were conducted with village doctors (14), township doctors and nurses (14), county hospital doctors (7) and Shigatse Centre for Disease Control staff (2).

RESULTS

The three main themes reported include (1) the importance of training primary and community health workers to identify people with symptoms of TB, ensure TB is diagnosed and link people with TB to further care; (2) the need to engage community health workers to ensure retention in care and adherence to TB medications; and (3) the opportunity for innovative technologies to support coordinated care, retention in care and adherence to medication in Shigatse.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of TB care could be improved across the care cascade in Tibet and other high-burden, remote settings by strengthening primary care through ongoing training, greater support and inclusion of community health workers and by leveraging technology to create a circle of care. Future formative and implementation research should include the perspectives of health workers at all levels to improve care organisation and delivery.

Barriers to engagement in the care cascade for tuberculosis disease in India: A systematic review of quantitative studies

BACKGROUND

India accounts for about one-quarter of people contracting tuberculosis (TB) disease annually and nearly one-third of TB deaths globally. Many Indians do not navigate all care cascade stages to receive TB treatment and achieve recurrence-free survival. Guided by a population/exposure/comparison/outcomes (PECO) framework, we report findings of a systematic review to identify factors contributing to unfavorable outcomes across each care cascade gap for TB disease in India.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We defined care cascade gaps as comprising people with confirmed or presumptive TB who did not: start the TB diagnostic workup (Gap 1), complete the workup (Gap 2), start treatment (Gap 3), achieve treatment success (Gap 4), or achieve TB recurrence-free survival (Gap 5). Three systematic searches of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from January 1, 2000 to August 14, 2023 were conducted. We identified articles evaluating factors associated with unfavorable outcomes for each gap (reported as adjusted odds, relative risk, or hazard ratios) and, among people experiencing unfavorable outcomes, reasons for these outcomes (reported as proportions), with specific quality or risk of bias criteria for each gap. Findings were organized into person-, family-, and society-, or health system-related factors, using a social-ecological framework. Factors associated with unfavorable outcomes across multiple cascade stages included: male sex, older age, poverty-related factors, lower symptom severity or duration, undernutrition, alcohol use, smoking, and distrust of (or dissatisfaction with) health services. People previously treated for TB were more likely to seek care and engage in the diagnostic workup (Gaps 1 and 2) but more likely to suffer pretreatment loss to follow-up (Gap 3) and unfavorable treatment outcomes (Gap 4), especially those who were lost to follow-up during their prior treatment. For individual care cascade gaps, multiple studies highlighted lack of TB knowledge and structural barriers (e.g., transportation challenges) as contributing to lack of care-seeking for TB symptoms (Gap 1, 14 studies); lack of access to diagnostics (e.g., X-ray), non-identification of eligible people for testing, and failure of providers to communicate concern for TB as contributing to non-completion of the diagnostic workup (Gap 2, 17 studies); stigma, poor recording of patient contact information by providers, and early death from diagnostic delays as contributing to pretreatment loss to follow-up (Gap 3, 15 studies); and lack of TB knowledge, stigma, depression, and medication adverse effects as contributing to unfavorable treatment outcomes (Gap 4, 86 studies). Medication nonadherence contributed to unfavorable treatment outcomes (Gap 4) and TB recurrence (Gap 5, 14 studies). Limitations include lack of meta-analyses due to the heterogeneity of findings and limited generalizability to some Indian regions, given the country's diverse population.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review illuminates common patterns of risk that shape outcomes for Indians with TB, while highlighting knowledge gaps-particularly regarding TB care for children or in the private sector-to guide future research. Findings may inform targeting of support services to people with TB who have higher risk of poor outcomes and inform multicomponent interventions to close gaps in the care cascade.

Pre-treatment loss to follow-up in adults with pulmonary TB in Kenya

SETTING

County referral hospital in western Kenya.

OBJECTIVES

To ascertain the proportion of pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) and associated patient factors in adults with pulmonary TB (PTB) in western Kenya.

DESIGN

A retrospective data review of laboratory and treatment registers for adults with bacteriologically confirmed PTB between January 2018 to December 2021. We defined PTLFU as failure to initiate treatment within 14 days of diagnosis. We used multivariable logistic regression modelling to identify patient factors associated with PTLFU.

RESULTS

Of 476 patients with PTB, 67.2% were male; the mean age was 36.1 years; 37.0% were HIV-positive; 5.7% had a history of anti-TB treatment; 40.6% were not traceable in the treatment register; 202 (42.4%, 95% CI 38.1-46.9) experienced PTLFU. Age ≥55 years (aOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.0-6.7) and providing only an address (aOR 34.2, 95% CI 18.7-62.5) or only a telephone contact number (aOR 22.3, 95% CI 3.5-141.1) were associated with PTLFU. Sex, HIV status, history of anti-TB treatment and place of residence were not associated with PTLFU.

CONCLUSION

PTLFU contributes markedly to TB patient losses in western Kenya. Strengthening systems for documenting patient information and actively monitoring PTLFU are crucial for attrition reduction.

Implementing active surveillance for TB: A descriptive survey of healthcare workers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

BACKGROUND

 South Africa is a tuberculosis (TB) high-burden country. In the Eastern Cape (EC), community health worker (CHW) teams implement active surveillance for TB to curb spread in disadvantaged communities. However, achieving the goals of the End-TB strategy require coordinated efforts that implement policy and strengthen health systems.

AIM

 This survey described views of healthcare workers (HCWs) in primary care facilities on factors that influence implementation of active surveillance for TB.

SETTING

 This survey was conducted across two districts, among healthcare workers working in TB rooms at primary health facilities.

METHOD

 A cross-sectional survey of HCW in the EC.

RESULTS

 The survey included 37 clinics in the OR Tambo Health District (ORTHD) and 44 clinics in the Nelson Mandela Bay Health District (NMBHD). Routine screening at primary care facilities (88.2%) and contact tracing initiatives (80.8%) were the common modes of TB screening. Tuberculosis screening services in the community were only provided by CHWs in 67.3% of instances. Although CHWs were adequately trained and motivated; the lack of transport, limited availability of outreach team leaders (OTLs) and poor security limited implementation of TB screening services in the community. Comparison between both districts revealed TB screening was limited by lack of transport in the rural district and poor security in the urban context. Community engagement provided a platform for improving acceptability.

CONCLUSION

 Community-based TB screening was limited. Inadequate coordination of services between stakeholders in the community has limited reach. Further research should describe that coordinating resource allocation and community empowerment could improve the implementation of active surveillance for TB.Contribution: This study highlights the views of TB room HCWs who believe the opportunity for community-level TB screening is improved with effective leadership and community engagement for acceptability of these services.

Accuracy of digital chest x-ray analysis with artificial intelligence software as a triage and screening tool in hospitalized patients being evaluated for tuberculosis in Lima, Peru

Tuberculosis (TB) transmission in healthcare facilities is common in high-incidence countries. Yet, the optimal approach for identifying inpatients who may have TB is unclear. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of qXR (Qure.ai, India) computer-aided detection (CAD) software versions 3.0 and 4.0 (v3 and v4) as a triage and screening tool within the FAST (Find cases Actively, Separate safely, and Treat effectively) transmission control strategy. We prospectively enrolled two cohorts of patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Lima, Peru: one group had cough or TB risk factors (triage) and the other did not report cough or TB risk factors (screening). We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of qXR for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB using culture and Xpert as primary and secondary reference standards, including stratified analyses based on risk factors. In the triage cohort (n = 387), qXR v4 sensitivity was 0.91 (59/65, 95% CI 0.81-0.97) and specificity was 0.32 (103/322, 95% CI 0.27-0.37) using culture as reference standard. There was no difference in the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) between qXR v3 and qXR v4 with either a culture or Xpert reference standard. In the screening cohort (n = 191), only one patient had a positive Xpert result, but specificity in this cohort was high (>90%). A high prevalence of radiographic lung abnormalities, most notably opacities (81%), consolidation (62%), or nodules (58%), was detected by qXR on digital CXR images from the triage cohort. qXR had high sensitivity but low specificity as a triage in hospitalized patients with cough or TB risk factors. Screening patients without cough or risk factors in this setting had a low diagnostic yield. These findings further support the need for population and setting-specific thresholds for CAD programs.

Individual journeys to tuberculosis care in Nigeria's private sector during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Pre-COVID-19, individuals with tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria were often underdiagnosed and untreated. TB services were mostly in the public sector with only 15% of new cases in 2019 reported from the private sector. Reports highlighted challenges in accessing care in the private sector, which accounted for 67% of all initial care-seeking. Our study examined patients' health seeking pathways for TB in Nigeria's private sector and explored any changes to care pathways during COVID-19.

METHODS

We conducted 180 cross-sectional surveys and 20 in-depth interviews with individuals having chest symptoms attending 18 high-volume private clinics and hospitals in Kano and Lagos States. Questions focused on sociodemographic characteristics, health-seeking behaviour, and pathways to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. All surveys and interviews were conducted in May 2021.

RESULTS

Most participants were male (111/180), with an average age of 37. Half (96/180) sought healthcare within a week of symptoms, while few (20/180) waited over 2 months. Individuals testing positive for TB had more health-seeking delays, and those testing negative for TB had more provider delays. On average, participants visited two providers in Kano and 1.69 in Lagos, with 61 of 180 in Kano and 48 of 180 in Lagos visiting other providers before the recruitment facility. Private providers were the initial encounters for most participants (60/180 in Kano, 83/180 in Lagos). Most respondents (164/180) experienced short-lived pandemic-related restrictions, affecting access to transportation, and closed facilities.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a few challenges in accessing TB care, necessitating continued investment in healthcare infrastructure and resources, particularly in the private sector. Understanding the different care pathways and delays in care provides opportunities for targeted interventions to improve deployment of services closer to where patients first seek care.

Factors contributing to pre-treatment loss to follow-up in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis: a qualitative evidence synthesis of patient and healthcare worker perspectives

BACKGROUND

Since 2018, over 14 million people have been treated for tuberculosis (TB) globally. However, pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) has been shown to contribute substantially to patient losses in the TB care cascade with subsequent high community transmission and mortality rates.

OBJECTIVE

To identify, appraise, and synthesise evidence on the perspectives of patients and healthcare workers on factors contributing to PTLFU in adults with pulmonary TB.

METHODS

We registered the title with PROSPERO (CRD42021253212). We searched nine relevant databases up to 24 May 2021 for qualitative studies. Two review authors independently reviewed records for eligibility and extracted data. We assessed methodological quality with the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information Centre tool and synthesised data using the Supporting the Use of Research Evidence framework. We assessed confidence in our findings using Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (GRADE-CERQual).

RESULTS

We reviewed a total of 1239 records and included five studies, all from low- and middle-income countries. Key themes reported by patients and healthcare workers were communication challenges among healthcare workers and between healthcare workers and patients; knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours about TB and its management; accessibility and availability of facilities for TB care; and human resource and financial constraints, weakness in management and leadership in TB programmes. Patients' change of residence, long waiting times, and poor referral systems were additional factors that contributed to patients disengaging from care. We had moderate confidence in most of our findings.

CONCLUSION

Findings from our qualitative evidence synthesis highlight multiple factors that contribute to PTLFU. Central to addressing these factors will be the need to strengthen health systems and offer people-centred care.

Accuracy of digital chest x-ray analysis with artificial intelligence software as a triage and screening tool in hospitalized patients being evaluated for tuberculosis in Lima, Peru

Introduction

Tuberculosis (TB) transmission in healthcare facilities is common in high-incidence countries. Yet, the optimal approach for identifying inpatients who may have TB is unclear. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of qXR (Qure.ai, India) computer-aided detection (CAD) software versions 3.0 and 4.0 (v3 and v4) as a triage and screening tool within the FAST (Find cases Actively, Separate safely, and Treat effectively) transmission control strategy.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled two cohorts of patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Lima, Peru: one group had cough or TB risk factors (triage) and the other did not report cough or TB risk factors (screening). We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of qXR for the diagnosis of pulmonary TB using culture and Xpert as primary and secondary reference standards, including stratified analyses based on risk factors.

Results

In the triage cohort (n=387), qXR v4 sensitivity was 0.91 (59/65, 95% CI 0.81-0.97) and specificity was 0.32 (103/322, 95% CI 0.27-0.37) using culture as reference standard. There was no difference in the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) between qXR v3 and qXR v4 with either a culture or Xpert reference standard. In the screening cohort (n=191), only one patient had a positive Xpert result, but specificity in this cohort was high (>90%). A high prevalence of radiographic lung abnormalities, most notably opacities (81%), consolidation (62%), or nodules (58%), was detected by qXR on digital CXR images from the triage cohort.

Conclusions

qXR had high sensitivity but low specificity as a triage in hospitalized patients with cough or TB risk factors. Screening patients without cough or risk factors in this setting had a low diagnostic yield. These findings further support the need for population and setting-specific thresholds for CAD programs.

More Than a Decade of GeneXpert®Mycobacterium tuberculosis/Rifampicin (Ultra) Testing in South Africa: Laboratory Insights from Twenty-Three Million Tests

This study seeks to describe the rollout and current state of South Africa's GeneXpert molecular diagnostic program for tuberculosis (TB). Xpert MTB/RIF was introduced in 2011 with a subsequent expansion to include extra-pulmonary and paediatric testing, followed by Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra in 2017. Through a centralised laboratory information system and the use of a standardised platform for more than a decade, over 23 million tests were analysed, describing the numbers tested, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex detection, rifampin resistance, and the unsuccessful test rates. The stratification by province, specimen type, age, and sex identified significant heterogeneity across the program and highlighted testing gaps for men, low detection yield for paediatric pulmonary TB, and the effects of inadequate specimen quality on the detection rate. The insights gained from these data can aid in the monitoring of interventions in support of the national TB program beyond laboratory operational aspects.

Knowledge, attitude and practice on prevention and control of pulmonary tuberculosis index cases family in Shebedino District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia

Introduction

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death, despite being a largely curable and preventable disease. The goals of TB control are to reduce infection transmission, morbidity, and mortality until TB cannot be a threat to public health any longer while preventing drug resistance. Assessing KAP on TB control and prevention among family members is more essential, and taking action based on the result can break the transmission of TB infection.

Methods

From August to September 2022, a community-based cross-sectional study method was used. A total of 422 participants were selected from a list of sample frames who were family members of PTB patients who had used anti-TB medication in the previous 12 months prior to the study period using a systematic random sampling method. SPSS version 25 software was used to analyze the data. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine variables related to KAP on TB prevention and control. A variable with p-values less than 0.25 was included in the multivariable logistic regression model to find independent determinant factors. In the multivariate logistic regression, variables with p-values ≤0.05 were identified as statistically significant.

Result

A total of 414 family members responded to the survey questionnaire. The average knowledge score on TB was 17.11 ± 6.34. The majority (51.9%) of respondents had a good knowledge of TB cases. One-third of those polled had an unfavorable attitude towards PTB prevention, with a mean score of 3.16 ± 1.78 and 55.1% had good practice in preventing tuberculosis. Marital status (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.5-2.5) was an independent predictor of knowledge. Practice level is independently affected by occupation (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI = (1.7-8.7)) and health education on PTB (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI = (1.6-3.9).

Conclusion

Knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices about tuberculosis were not satisfactory when compared to several national and international studies. It is necessary to strengthen the program for health education and awareness-building on PTB.

Health worker views on pre-treatment loss to follow-up in adults with pulmonary TB in Western Kenya

SETTING

County referral hospital in Western Kenya.

OBJECTIVES

To explore factors contributing to pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) in adults with pulmonary TB and propose solutions to address PTLFU from healthcare worker (HCW) perspectives.

DESIGN

This was an exploratory qualitative study using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We conducted 19 key informant interviews with HCWs representing laboratory, clinical care, management and the community. Participant age ranged from 26 to 62 years; 14 (74%) were females; and most (74%) had worked in TB care for ⩽5 years. They reported that patients experienced stigma and had misconceptions about TB that contributed to PTLFU. HCWs were hesitant to work in the TB clinic, which contributed to suboptimal patient care, leading to PTLFU. Unclear linkage between laboratory and clinician, and limited financial resources to track patients were among the healthcare system factors that led to PTLFU. HCWs suggested having proper patient preparation, assigning resources to track patients and holding regular interdisciplinary meetings as practical solutions to address PTLFU.

CONCLUSION

HCWs reported multiple factors that may influence PTLFU and recommended various solutions to address these. Knowledge of TB management, patient preparation, resources to track patients and multidisciplinary meetings will be central to addressing PTLFU.

Experience of "One Stop TB Diagnostic Solution" Model in Engaging a Private Laboratory for End-to-End Diagnostic Services in the National TB Elimination Program in Hisar, India

The complete diagnostic evaluation of tuberculosis based on its drug-resistance profile is critical for appropriate treatment decisions. The TB diagnostic landscape in India has been transformed with the scaling-up of WHO-recommended diagnostics, but challenges remain with specimen transportation, completing diagnostic assessment, turnaround time (TAT), and maintaining laboratories. Private laboratories have demonstrated efficiencies for specimen collection, transportation, and the timely testing and issue of results. A one-stop TB diagnostic model was designed to assess the feasibility of providing end-to-end diagnostic services in the Hisar district of Haryana state, India. A NTEP-certified private laboratory was engaged to provide the services, complementing the existing public sector diagnostic services. A total of 10,164 specimens were collected between May 2022 and January 2023 and these were followed for the complete diagnostic assessment of Drug-Susceptible TB (DS-TB) and Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB) and the time taken for issuing results. A total of 2152 (21%) patients were detected with TB, 1996 (93%) Rifampicin-Sensitive and 134 (6%) with Rifampicin-Resistant TB. Nearly 99% of the patients completed the evaluation of DS-TB and DR-TB within the recommended TAT. The One-Stop TB/DR-TB Diagnostic Solution model has demonstrated that diagnostic efficiencies could be enhanced through the strategic purchase of private laboratory services.

Ending tuberculosis: the cost of missing the World Health Organization target in a low-incidence country

BACKGROUND

Ending tuberculosis (TB) is a global priority and targets for doing so are outlined in the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy. For low-incidence countries, eliminating TB requires high levels of wealth, low levels of income inequality and effective TB programmes and services that can meet the needs of people who have not benefited from these and are still at risk of TB. In Ireland, numerous reports have noted a need for more funding for TB prevention and control.

AIM

The aim of this research was to estimate the cost of not meeting the WHO End TB target of a 90% reduction in TB incidence in Ireland between 2015 and 2035.

METHODS

The cost of projected TB cases between 2022 and 2035 is estimated based on trends in surveillance data for the period 2015 to 2019 and outcomes reported in the literature.

RESULTS

Between 2022 and 2035, it is projected that a failure to meet the WHO End TB Strategy target will result in an additional 989 cases of TB, 577.3 disability-adjusted life years and 35 deaths with TB in Ireland. The cost of this is estimated to be €70.779 million.

CONCLUSION

Given the estimated cost, Ireland's current prospects of eliminating TB and the tendency towards programmatic funding internationally, greater investment in TB prevention and control in Ireland is justifiable. A national elimination strategy with actions at the levels of the social determinants of health, the health system and the TB programme should be funded.

Barriers and gaps in tuberculosis care and treatment in Iran: A multi-center qualitative study

Introduction

Patients with Tuberculosis (TB) still have barriers in accessing high quality care and treatment services. In this qualitative study, we investigated barriers in accessing TB health services including confirmatory diagnosis, treatment adherence and recurrence of pulmonary TB using patients, physicians, and policy makers point of view.

Materials and methods

In this qualitative research from November to March 2021, 3 policy makers from the Ministry of Health, 12 provincial TB experts and physicians from the TB control program and 33 patients diagnosed with TB from 4 provinces were enrolled for a semi-structured in-depth interview. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed. Framework analysis was done by MAXQDA 2018 software to identify key themes.

Results

Several barriers reported for TB care and treatment: Poor knowledge of patents about TB symptoms, failure to screen for TB among at-risk patients by physicians, similar symptoms between TB and other lung diseases, low sensitivity of TB diagnostic tests, incomplete case finding and contact-tracing, stigma related to TB, and patients poor adherence due to long TB treatment. In addition, COVID-19 pandemic disrupted TB services and decreased detection, care and treatment services for TB patients.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the need for interventions to increase public and healthcare providers awareness about TB symptoms, using more sensitive diagnostic tests, and interventions to reduce stigma, and improve case finding and contact tracing effort. Improving patients' adherence required better monitoring and shorter effective treatment regimes.

Updating the WHO target product profile for next-generation Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing at peripheral centres

There were approximately 10 million tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2020, of which 500,000 were drug-resistant. Only one third of drug-resistant TB cases were diagnosed and enrolled on appropriate treatment, an issue partly driven by a lack of rapid, accurate drug-susceptibility testing (DST) tools deployable in peripheral settings. In 2014, World Health Organization (WHO) published target product profiles (TPPs) which detailed minimal and optimal criteria to address high-priority TB diagnostic needs, including DST. Since then, the TB community's needs have evolved; new treatment regimens, changes in TB definitions, further emergence of drug resistance, technological advances, and changing end-users requirements have necessitated an update. The DST TPP's revision was therefore undertaken by WHO with the Stop TB Partnership New Diagnostics Working Group. We describe the process of updating the TPP for next-generation TB DST for use at peripheral centres, highlight key updates, and discuss guidance regarding technical and operational specifications.

Losses along the tuberculosis sputum sample referral cascade for Mpongwe District, Zambia

BACKGROUND

In resource limited-settings, timely tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis depends upon referral of sputum samples from non-diagnostic to diagnostic facilities for examination. The TB programme data for 2018 suggested losses in Mpongwe District's sputum referral cascade.

AIM

This study aimed to identify the referral cascade stage where loss of sputum specimen occurred.

SETTING

Primary health care facilities in Mpongwe District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively collected from one central laboratory and six referring health facilities between January and June 2019, using a paper-based tracking sheet. Descriptive statistics were generated in SPSS version 22.

RESULTS

Of the 328 presumptive pulmonary TB patients found in presumptive TB registers at referring facilities, 311 (94.8%) submitted sputum samples and were referred to the diagnostic facilities. Of these, 290 (93.2%) were received at the laboratory, and 275 (94.8%) were examined. The remaining 15 (5.2%) were rejected for reasons such as 'insufficient sample'. Results for all examined samples were sent back and received at referring facilities. Referral cascade completion rate was 88.4%. Median turnaround time was six days (IQR = 1.8).

CONCLUSION

Losses in the sputum referral cascade for Mpongwe District mainly occurred between dispatch of sputum samples and receipt at diagnostic facility. Mpongwe District Health Office needs to establish a system to monitor and evaluate the movement of sputum samples along the referral cascade to minimize losses and ensure timely TB diagnosis.Contribution: This study has highlighted, at primary health care level for resource limited settings, the stage in the sputum sample referral cascade where losses mainly occur.

Recurrence Rate of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Patients Treated with the Standard 6-Month Regimen: Findings and Implications from a Prospective Observational Multicenter Study

Tuberculosis (TB) recurrence following successful treatment is a significant challenge in TB control programs. However, the rate of TB recurrence varies among studies. It depends on several factors, including the country/region where the investigation occurs, the study design, sample characteristics, and the anti-TB regimen used. In Yemen, a few previous studies examined the rate of TB recurrence and reported high recurrence rates, with a 5-year recurrence rate of approximately 9.5%. However, they were conducted before 2010 using the previous anti-TB regimen which was phased out and replaced with the World Health Organization's (WHO) standard 6-month TB regimen. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the rate of TB recurrence after the implementation of the WHO standard 6-month regimen in Yemen. A prospective observational study was conducted with patients diagnosed with drug-susceptible pulmonary TB. The patients were recruited from five health centers with TB units in five governorates from January to December 2011. All the patients were followed up for five years after treatment completion. A total of 439 patients who completed the anti-TB regimen met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. During the 5-year follow-up period, 8 patients (1.8%) died, and 13 patients (2.96%) were lost to follow-up, resulting in a final cohort of 418 patients. Of the cohort, 50.5% (n = 211) were male, while 49.5% (n = 207) were female patients. Of the patients, 129 patients (30.9%) were illiterate, 56 (13.4%) had cavitary pulmonary disease, and 6.2% (n = 26) had diabetes. The overall 5-year rate of TB recurrence in this study for the patients receiving the standard 6-month regimen was 2.9% (12/418). Moreover, almost half of the recurrent cases (41.7%; n = 5) were seen during the first year of the follow-up period. Some patient groups with risk factors recorded a higher recurrence rate, including patients with diabetes (15.4%), non-compliant patients (14.3%), pre-treatment lung cavitation patients (8.9%), illiterate patients (7.8%), and underweight patients (5.1%). In conclusion, the overall TB recurrence rate with the standard 6-month regimen was lower than that with the previous TB regimens. However, more efforts are needed to decrease TB recurrence rates further and achieve a durable cure for TB. In addition, healthcare professionals and TB control programs should consider potential risk factors of recurrence and address them to provide optimal care.

Missing Cases of Bacteriologically Confirmed TB/DR-TB from the National Treatment Registers in West and North Sumatra Provinces, Indonesia

This study aimed to assess the percentage of confirmed drug-sensitive (DS) TB and drug-resistant (DR) TB patients who were missing in the national treatment registration in North Sumatra and West Sumatra, where treatment services for DR-TB in North Sumatra are relatively well established compared with West Sumatra, where the system recently started. Confirmed DS/DR-TB records in the laboratory register at 40 government health facilities in 2017 and 2018 were traced to determine whether they were in the treatment register databases. A Jaro-Winkler soundexed string distance analysis enhanced by socio-demographic information matching had sensitivity and specificity over 98% in identifying the same person in the same or different databases. The laboratory data contained 5885 newly diagnosed records of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases. Of the 5885 cases, 1424 of 5353 (26.6%) DS-TB cases and 133 of 532 (25.0%) DR-TB cases were missing in the treatment notification database. The odds of missing treatment for DS-TB was similar for both provinces (AOR = 1.0 (0.9, 1.2), but for DR-TB, North Sumatra had a significantly lower missing odds ratio (AOR = 0.4 (0.2, 0.7). The system must be improved to reduce this missing rate, especially for DR-TB in West Sumatra.

Need to reinvigorateTuberculosis research in India - A review of studies registered under clinical trial registry of India

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most serious public health issues in India. According to the global TB report 2020, India accounts for about one-quarter of the global TB burden. Despite considerable advances in mandatory notification of all TB cases, incorporation of the national health programmes with general health services (National Health Mission), and national drug resistance surveillance and many other accomplishments, much more needs to be considered in India to significantly decrease TB incidence. Research is the foundation for medical breakthroughs. In this study, all Tuberculosis-related studies registered under Clinical Trial Registry of India from its inception in July 2007 to February 2021 were reviewed and analysed using the keyword ''Tuberculosis'' in the 'Trial Search' section. A total of 31,196 studies were registered in CTRI, with 180 studies (0.58%) being related to tuberculosis. Of these studies, 76 (42.2%) were interventional in nature. These consisted of evaluating different management or treatment TB (50%, n = 90), diagnostic studies (19.4%, n = 35) and studies related to screening and prevention of TB (7.8%, n = 14). Maximum studies were conducted to evaluate safety and efficacy of anti-TB drugs (10%, n = 18) and to evaluate efficacy of shortening of duration of treatment (8.9%, n = 16). The studies related to extra pulmonary TB, MDR TB and TB in special populations and sources of funding and locations of the study sites were also analysed. These indicate that only minimal TB-related researches are conducted in India. It is indispensable to promote tuberculosis research in India in order to eradicate this infectious disease.

Can digital adherence technologies reduce inequity in tuberculosis treatment success? Evidence from a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health emergency and low treatment adherence among patients is a major barrier to ending the TB epidemic. The WHO promotes digital adherence technologies (DATs) as facilitators for improving treatment adherence in resource-limited settings. However, limited research has investigated whether DATs improve outcomes for high-risk patients (ie, those with a high probability of an unsuccessful outcome), leading to concerns that DATs may cause intervention-generated inequality.

METHODS

We conducted secondary analyses of data from a completed individual-level randomised controlled trial in Nairobi, Kenya during 2016-2017, which evaluated the average intervention effect of a novel DAT-based behavioural support programme. We trained a causal forest model to answer three research questions: (1) Was the effect of the intervention heterogeneous across individuals? (2) Was the intervention less effective for high-risk patients? nd (3) Can differentiated care improve programme effectiveness and equity in treatment outcomes?

RESULTS

We found that individual intervention effects-the percentage point reduction in the likelihood of an unsuccessful treatment outcome-ranged from 4.2 to 12.4, with an average of 8.2. The intervention was beneficial for 76% of patients, and most beneficial for high-risk patients. Differentiated enrolment policies, targeted at high-risk patients, have the potential to (1) increase the average intervention effect of DAT services by up to 28.5% and (2) decrease the population average and standard deviation (across patients) of the probability of an unsuccessful treatment outcome by up to 8.5% and 31.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This DAT-based intervention can improve outcomes among high-risk patients, reducing inequity in the likelihood of an unsuccessful treatment outcome. In resource-limited settings where universal provision of the intervention is infeasible, targeting high-risk patients for DAT enrolment is a worthwhile strategy for programmes that involve human support sponsors, enabling them to achieve the highest possible impact for high-risk patients at a substantially improved cost-effectiveness ratio.

Clinical Outcomes of Individuals with COVID-19 and Tuberculosis during the Pre-Vaccination Period of the Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Background: Tuberculosis, like COVID-19, is most often a pulmonary disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted tuberculosis services in myriad ways: health facility closures, lockdowns, travel bans, overwhelmed healthcare systems, restricted export of antituberculous drugs, etc. The effects of the shared risk on outcomes of the two diseases is not known, particularly for the first year of the pandemic, during the period before COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. Objective: We embarked on a systematic review to elucidate the consequences of tuberculosis on COVID-19 outcomes and of COVID-19 on tuberculosis outcomes during the pre-vaccination period of the pandemic. Methods: The systematic review protocol is registered in PROSPERO. We conducted an initial search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, WHO coronavirus database, medRxiv, bioRxiv, preprints.org, and Google Scholar using terms relating to COVID-19 and tuberculosis. We selected cohort and case–control studies for extraction and assessed quality with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results and Conclusion: We identified 2108 unique abstracts published between December 2019 and January 2021. We extracted data from 18 studies from 8 countries. A total of 650,317 persons had a diagnosis of COVID-19, and 4179 had a diagnosis of current or prior tuberculosis. We explored links between tuberculosis and COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and other adverse outcomes. Nine studies reported on mortality and 13 on other adverse outcomes; results on the association between tuberculosis and COVID-19 mortality/adverse outcomes were heterogenous. Tuberculosis outcomes were not fully available in any studies, due to short follow-up (maximum of 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis), so the effects of COVID-19 on tuberculosis outcomes could not be assessed. Much of the rapid influx of literature on tuberculosis and COVID-19 during this period was published on preprint servers, and therefore not peer-reviewed. It offered limited examination of the effect of tuberculosis on COVID-19 outcomes and even less on the effect of COVID-19 on tuberculosis treatment outcomes.

Undernotification and underreporting of tuberculosis in Zambia: a national data quality assessment

BACKGROUND

Despite national implementation of several high impact interventions and innovations to bolster tuberculosis (TB) detection and improve quality of TB services in Zambia, notifications have been declining since 2004. A countrywide data quality assessment (DQA) of Zambia's National TB and Leprosy Programme (NTLP) was undertaken to quantify the degree to which undernotification and underreporting of TB notifications may be occurring.

METHODS

The NTLP conducted a retrospective DQA of health facilities in high burden districts in all ten Zambian provinces. Multiple routine programmatic data sources were triangulated through a multi-step verification process to enumerate the total number of unique TB patients diagnosed between 1st January and 31st August 2019; both bacteriologically confirmed and clinically diagnosed TB patients were included. Undernotification was defined as the number of TB patients identified through the DQA that were not documented in facility treatment registers, while underreporting was defined as the number of notified TB cases not reported to the NTLP.

RESULTS

Overall, 265 health facilities across 55 districts were assessed from which 28,402 TB patients were identified; 94.5% of TB patients were ≥ 15 years old, 65.1% were male, 52.0% were HIV-positive, and 89.6% were a new/relapse case. Among all TB cases, 32.8% (95%CI: 32.2-33.3) were unnotified. Undernotification was associated with age ≥ 15 years old (adjusted prevalence odds ratio [aPOR] = 2.4 [95%CI: 2.0-2.9]), HIV-positive status (aPOR = 1.6 [95%CI: 1.5-1.8]), being a new/relapse TB case (aPOR = 17.5 [95%CI: 13.4-22.8]), being a clinically diagnosed TB case (aPOR = 4.2 [95%CI:3.8-4.6]), and being diagnosed at a hospital (range, aPOR = 1.5 [95%CI: 1.3-1.6] to 2.6 [95%CI: 2.3-2.9]). There was substantial heterogeneity in the proportion of unnotified TB cases by province (range, 18.2% to 43.6%). In a sub-analysis among 22,199 TB patients with further data available, 55.9% (95%CI: 55.2-56.6) were notified and reported to the NTLP, 32.8% (95%CI: 32.2-33.4) were unnotified, and 11.3% (95%CI: 10.9-11.7) went unreported to the NTLP.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from Zambia's first countrywide TB programme DQA demonstrate substantial undernotification and underreporting of TB cases across all provinces. This underscores the urgent need to implement a robust and integrated data management system to facilitate timely registration and reporting of all TB patients who are diagnosed and treated.

Gaps and Interventions across the Diagnostic Care Cascade of TB Patients at the Level of Patient, Community and Health System: A Qualitative Review of the Literature

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be one of the important public health concerns globally, and India is among the seven countries with the largest burden of TB. There has been a consistent increase in the notifications of TB cases across the globe. However, the 2018 estimates envisage a gap of about 30% between the incident and notified cases of TB, indicating a significant number of patients who remain undiagnosed or ‘missed’. It is important to understand who is ‘missed’, find this population, and provide quality care. Given these complexities, we reviewed the diagnostic gaps in the care cascade for TB. We searched Medline via PubMed and CENTRAL databases via the Cochrane Library. The search strategy for PubMed was tailored to individual databases and was as: ((((((tuberculosis[Title/Abstract]) OR (TB[Title/Abstract])) OR (koch *[Title/Abstract])) OR (“tuberculosis”[MeSH Terms]))) AND (((diagnos *) AND (“diagnosis”[MeSH Terms])))). Furthermore, we screened the references list of the potentially relevant studies to seek additional studies. Studies retrieved from these electronic searches and relevant references included in the bibliography of those studies were reviewed. Original studies in English that assessed the causes of diagnostic gaps and interventions used to address them were included. Delays in diagnosis were found to be attributable to both the individuals’ and the health system’s capacity to diagnose and promptly commence treatment. This review provides insights into the diagnostic gaps in a cascade of care for TB and different interventions adopted in studies to close this gap. The major diagnostic gaps identified in this review are as follows: people may not have access to TB diagnostic tests, individuals are at a higher risk of missed diagnosis, services are available but people may not seek care with a diagnostic facility, and patients are not diagnosed despite reaching health facilities. Therefore, reaching the goal to End TB requires putting in place models and methods to provide prompt and quality assured diagnosis to populations at par.

Yield and Coverage of Active Case Finding Interventions for Tuberculosis Control:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Active case finding (ACF) for tuberculosis (TB) is a key strategy to reduce diagnostic delays, expedite treatment, and prevent transmission.

Objective

Our objective was to identify the populations, settings, screening and diagnostic approaches that optimize coverage (proportion of those targeted who were screened) and yield (proportion of those screened who had active TB) in ACF programs.

Methods

We performed a comprehensive search to identify studies published from 1980-2016 that reported the coverage and yield of different ACF approaches. For each outcome, we conducted meta-analyses of single proportions to produce estimates across studies, followed by meta-regression to identify predictors. Findings. Of 3,972 publications identified, 224 met criteria after full-text review. Most individuals who were targeted successfully completed screening, for a pooled coverage estimate of 93.5%. The pooled yield of active TB across studies was 3.2%. Settings with the highest yield were internally-displaced persons camps (15.6%) and healthcare facilities (6.9%). When compared to symptom screening as the reference standard, studies that screened individuals regardless of symptoms using microscopy, culture, or GeneXpert®MTB/RIF (Xpert) had 3.7% higher case yield. In particular, microbiological screening (usually microscopy) as the initial test, followed by culture or Xpert for diagnosis had 3.6% higher yield than symptom screening followed by microscopy for diagnosis. In a model adjusted for use of Xpert testing, approaches targeting persons living with HIV (PLWH) had a 4.9% higher yield than those targeting the general population. In all models, studies targeting children had higher yield (4.8%-5.7%) than those targeting adults.

Conclusion

ACF activities can be implemented successfully in various populations and settings. Screening yield was highest in internally-displaced person and healthcare settings, and among PLWH and children. In high-prevalence settings, ACF approaches that screen individuals with laboratory tests regardless of symptoms have higher yield than approaches focused on symptomatic individuals.

Reimagining the status quo: How close are we to rapid sputum-free tuberculosis diagnostics for all?

Rapid, accurate, sputum-free tests for tuberculosis (TB) triage and confirmation are urgently needed to close the widening diagnostic gap. We summarise key technologies and review programmatic, systems, and resource issues that could affect the impact of diagnostics. Mid-to-early-stage technologies like artificial intelligence-based automated digital chest X-radiography and capillary blood point-of-care assays are particularly promising. Pitfalls in the diagnostic pipeline, included a lack of community-based tools. We outline how these technologies may complement one another within the context of the TB care cascade, help overturn current paradigms (eg, reducing syndromic triage reliance, permitting subclinical TB to be diagnosed), and expand options for extra-pulmonary TB. We review challenges such as the difficulty of detecting paucibacillary TB and the limitations of current reference standards, and discuss how researchers and developers can better design and evaluate assays to optimise programmatic uptake. Finally, we outline how leveraging the urgency and innovation applied to COVID-19 is critical to improving TB patients' diagnostic quality-of-care.

Integrated testing for TB and COVID-19

Integrated testing for TB and COVID-19 may help find those TB patients who are not accessing care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some molecular platforms with assays for both diseases are already commercially available; however, integrated testing approaches need to be systematically evaluated to ensure their appropriate implementation.

Tuberculosis Prevalence and Predictors Among Health Care-Seeking People Screened for Cough of Any Duration in Ethiopia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. This high burden is mainly attributed to low case detection and delayed diagnosis. We aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of TB among health care-seeking people screened for cough of any duration in Ethiopia.

Methods

In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we screened 195,713 (81.2%) for cough of any duration. We recruited a sample of 1,853 presumptive TB (PTB) cases and assigned them into three groups: group I with cough ≥2 weeks, group II with cough of <2 weeks, and group III pregnant women, patients on antiretroviral therapy, and patients with diabetes. The first two groups underwent chest radiograph (CXR) followed by sputum Xpert MTB/RIF assay or smear microscopy. The third group was exempted from CXR but underwent sputum Xpert MTB/RIF assay or smear microscopy. TB prevalence was calculated across the groups and TB predictors were analyzed using modified Poisson regression to compute adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

The overall prevalence of PTB was 16.7% (309/1853). Of the positive cases, 81.2% (251/309) were in group I (cough ≥2 weeks), 14.2% (44/309) in group II (cough of <2), and 4.5% (14/309) in group III (CXR exempted). PTB predictors were age group of 25-34 [aPR = 2.0 (95% CI 1.3-2.8)], history of weight loss [aPR = 1.2 (95% CI 1.1-1.3)], and TB suggestive CXRs [aPR = 41.1 (95% CI 23.2-72.8)].

Conclusion

The prevalence of confirmed PTB among routine outpatients was high, and this included those with a low duration of cough who can serve as a source of infection. Screening all patients at outpatient departments who passively report any cough irrespective of duration is important to increase TB case finding and reduce TB transmission and mortality.

The role of counselling in tuberculosis diagnostic evaluation and contact tracing: scoping review and stakeholder consultation of knowledge and research gaps

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) care cascade analyses show large gaps at early stages, including care-seeking and diagnostic evaluation, where promising interventions to decrease attrition are urgently needed. Person-centered care is prioritized in the World Health Organization’s End TB strategy; yet little is known about how it is delivered and can be optimized. Recommendations for counselling, a core component of person-centered care, are largely limited to its role in improving TB treatment adherence. The role of counselling to close key diagnostic gaps in the care cascade is poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review to identify evidence on the use of counselling at TB diagnosis, for both people with presumptive TB and index patients to promote patient retention and contact tracing. Using search terms for TB, diagnosis and counselling, we systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Two independent reviewers screened all abstracts, full-texts, extracted data and conducted a quality assessment. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes.

Results

After screening 1785 articles, we extracted data from 15 studies and determined that the major themes best corresponded to the following gaps in the TB care cascade: care-seeking, pre-diagnosis, and pre-treatment. Studies were conducted across varied settings including pharmacies, primary health centres, and clinics, primarily in high TB incidence countries. No study directly evaluated the impact of counselling on outcomes such as treatment initiation or retention in care. Included studies suggested counselling may play an important role in improving the uptake of diagnostic testing and contact tracing. Barriers to counselling included time and personnel requirements. Stakeholder consultation emphasized the importance of high-quality counselling as a core tenet of TB care.

Conclusion

Data on the impact of counselling to improve TB case detection are absent from the literature. The shift towards person-centred care for TB presents an opportunity to incorporate counselling during earlier stages of the TB care cascade; however, evidence-based approaches are needed. Implementation research is needed to operationalize and evaluate counselling to strengthen high-quality TB care delivery.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-12556-8.

Is aggregated surveillance data a reliable method for constructing tuberculosis care cascades? A secondary data analysis from Uganda

To accelerate tuberculosis (TB) control and elimination, reliable data is needed to improve the quality of TB care. We assessed agreement between a surveillance dataset routinely collected for Uganda's national TB program and a high-fidelity dataset collected from the same source documents for a research study from 32 health facilities in 2017 and 2019 for six measurements: 1) Smear-positive and 2) GeneXpert-positive diagnoses, 3) bacteriologically confirmed and 4) clinically diagnosed treatment initiations, and the number of people initiating TB treatment who were also 5) living with HIV or 6) taking antiretroviral therapy. We measured agreement as the average difference between the two methods, expressed as the average ratio of the surveillance counts to the research data counts, its 95% limits of agreement (LOA), and the concordance correlation coefficient. We used linear mixed models to investigate whether agreement changed over time or was associated with facility characteristics. We found good overall agreement with some variation in the expected facility-level agreement for the number of smear positive diagnoses (average ratio [95% LOA]: 1.04 [0.38-2.82]; CCC: 0.78), bacteriologically confirmed treatment initiations (1.07 [0.67-1.70]; 0.82), and people living with HIV (1.11 [0.51-2.41]; 0.82). Agreement was poor for Xpert positives, with surveillance data undercounting relative to research data (0.45 [0.099-2.07]; 0.36). Although surveillance data overcounted relative to research data for clinically diagnosed treatment initiations (1.52 [0.71-3.26]) and number of people taking antiretroviral therapy (1.71 [0.71-4.12]), their agreement as assessed by CCC was not poor (0.82 and 0.62, respectively). Average agreement was similar across study years for all six measurements, but facility-level agreement varied from year to year and was not explained by facility characteristics. In conclusion, the agreement of TB surveillance data with high-fidelity research data was highly variable across measurements and facilities. To advance the use of routine TB data as a quality improvement tool, future research should elucidate and address reasons for variability in its quality.

User perspectives and preferences on a novel TB LAM diagnostic (Fujifilm SILVAMP TB LAM)-a qualitative study in Malawi and Zambia

Widely available tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics use sputum samples. However, many patients, particularly children and patients living with HIV (PLHIV), struggle to provide sputum. Urine diagnostics are a promising approach to circumvent this challenge while delivering reliable and timely diagnosis. This qualitative study in two high TB/HIV burden countries assesses values and preferences of end-users, along with potential barriers for the implementation of the novel Fujifilm SILVAMP TB-LAM (FujiLAM, Fujifilm, Japan) urine test. Between September 2020 and March 2021, we conducted 42 semi-structured interviews with patients, health care providers (HCPs) and decision makers (DMs) (e.g., in national TB programs) in Malawi and Zambia. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a framework approach supported by NVIVO. Findings aligned with the pre-existing Health Equity Implementation Framework, which guided the presentation of results. The ease and convenience of urine-based testing was described as empowering among patients and HCPs who lamented the difficulty of sputum collection, however HCPs expressed concerns that a shift in agency to the patient may affect clinic workflows (e.g., due to less control over collection). Implementation facilitators, such as shorter turnaround times, were welcomed by operators and patients alike. The decentralization of diagnostics was considered possible with FujiLAM by HCPs and DMs due to low infrastructure requirements. Finally, our findings support efforts for eliminating the CD4 count as an eligibility criterion for LAM testing, to facilitate implementation and benefit a wider range of patients. Our study identified barriers and facilitators relevant to scale-up of urine LAM tests in Malawi and Zambia. FujiLAM could positively impact health equity, as it would particularly benefit patient groups currently underserved by existing TB diagnostics. Participants view the approach as a viable, acceptable, and likely sustainable option in low- and middle-income countries, though adaptations may be required to current health care processes for deployment. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00021003. URL: https://www.drks.de/drks_web/setLocale_EN.do.

Awareness about tuberculosis in a rural area of Mandya district: A cross-sectional study in southern Karnataka

Background:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a re-emerging disease in India. Creating awareness among the community still plays a vital role in preventing and controlling the spread of TB.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was carried out for a period of 4 months in a rural area in Mandya, southern Karnataka. Sample size was estimated and those who fulfill the inclusion criteria were included with prior consent. Data were collected through interview method using structured questionnaire and analyzed using Epi info software.

Results:

Among the 774 participants, majority (61.8%) of the study participants belonged to the age group of 30–59 years; 32.7% of the subjects had studied up to secondary level of education. More than three-fourth of the subjects (76.1%) had heard about TB disease. More than 50% of the subjects mentioned “coughing” by a diseased person as the main reason for spread. Forty percent of the subjects, opined as recovery, will be complete after treatment. More than 60% of the subjects knew that TB diagnosis and treatment is free in any government health center.

Conclusion:

Our study found that knowledge regarding TB and its control in many of the aspects is either insufficient or not satisfactory in the community.

Who to Involve and Where to Start Integrating Tuberculosis Screening into Routine Healthcare Services: Positive Cough of Any Duration as the First Step for Screening Tuberculosis in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Recent country surveys have shown an unacceptably high prevalence of confirmed tuberculosis (TB) even among those with a low duration of cough, and more than 50% of those with bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) do not report symptoms that correspond to presumptive TB. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the incidence of smear-negative PTB patients who can serve as a source of infection. We investigated whether screening people who sought healthcare for cough of any duration can increase TB case detection in Ethiopia, and compiled the lessons learned and recommendations.

METHODS

We carried out a facility-based study in Ethiopia. All consenting participants who sought any healthcare at the outpatients department, and healthcare facilities for reproductive and child health, anti-retroviral therapy, and diabetes were screened for cough of any duration, and those with cough underwent further investigations using chest radiography (CXR) (except for pregnant women, patients on anti-retroviral therapy, and diabetic patients) and microbiological tests. Confirmed cases were linked to TB treatment following the country's standard guidelines.

RESULTS

We screened 195,713 people who sought healthcare for cough of any duration. Of these, 2647 reported cough symptom of any duration, of whom 1853 underwent further diagnostic tests as they fulfilled the criteria for presumptive TB. Overall, 309/1853 (16.7%) were diagnosed with PTB and linked to TB treatment. Screening by cough of any duration and/or CXR improved TB case finding, and engaging all health teams (administrative and supportive staff, as well as healthcare providers) in the TB screening and diagnosis significantly improved the process.

CONCLUSION

Screening for TB using cough of any duration and/or CXR for any patient who sought healthcare has the potential to increase both the number of presumptive TB cases and the number of patients diagnosed with and treated for TB in Ethiopia. Such initiatives require strong engagement of facility staff, regular maintenance and calibration of TB diagnostic equipment, and uninterrupted reagent supplies.

A qualitative study of perspectives on access to tuberculosis health services in Xigaze, China

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat and the leading infectious disease cause of death worldwide. Access to and retention in TB care remains a challenge for patients, particularly those living in rural and remote settings. This qualitative study explored barriers and facilitators to accessing and maintaining contact with TB care services in communities in Xigaze (Shigatse) prefecture, Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet Autonomous Region), China from the perspective of persons impacted by TB.

Methods

We conduced in-depth interviews with 23 participants impacted by TB in four rural districts in Xigaze prefecture, Xizang Autonomous Region, China between April 2019 and November 2020. Interviews were conducted in Tibetan and Mandarin, transcribed in Mandarin and translated into English. Transcripts were checked against recordings by native Tibetan and Mandarin speakers. QSR NVivo12 software was used for framework analysis guided by an access to care conceptual framework by Levesque et al.

Results

Overall patients reported low awareness of and an indifferent attitude towards TB, although all reported understanding the need to adhere to treatment. Participants reported complex pathways to care, often requiring visits to multiple healthcare facilities. Some participants reported visiting traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) providers. Participants reported various barriers to accessing care including challenges physically reaching care, out-of-pocket payments for tests, diagnostics and transport. Barriers to maintaining care included medication side effects and worry about treatment effectiveness. Enablers to accessing care identified included knowledge or past experience with TB, integrated models of TTM and western care, supportive village doctors who conducted home visits, free TB treatment and other subsidies, as well as having family support with care and social support as barriers and facilitators to maintaining treatment.

Conclusions

We identified barriers and facilitators to accessing services in rural communities in Xigaze from the perspective of persons impacted by TB. Challenges include complex pathways to care, travel distances, wait times and low awareness. Tuberculosis care in the region could be strengthened by ongoing culturally tailored educational campaigns to increase awareness, partnerships with TTM providers, providing comprehensive treatment subsidies and strengthening the role of family members in comprehensive TB care.

Graphic abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40249-021-00906-4.

Contributing Factors in the Tuberculosis Care Cascade in India: A Systematic Literature Review

Tuberculosis (TB) care cascade is a recently evolved care model for patient retention across the sequential stages of care for a successful treatment outcome. The care cascade is multi-folded and complex in setting where the health system is reforming for its resilience. India, one of the countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis mortality and morbidity, is not an exception to this complexity. With the diverse challenges in the Indian health system and societal diversity, it is essential to understand the factors contributing to this TB care cascade. Thus, this study aims to map all the contributing factors to the TB care cascade in India. Further, it also captures the different patterns of factors explored so far in different countries’ regions. This systematic literature review was conducted between October 2020 and February 2021 in India using PubMed databases, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Two reviewers extracted the data from eligible studies to summarize and tabulate important findings. Data were extracted and tabulated for study design, location of the study, type of TB patients, methodological approach, system side challenges, and demand-side challenges in the study’s findings. Out of 692 initial hits from the literature search, 28 studies were finally included to synthesize evidence in this review as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This review provides an insight into different factors such as the system-side (health workforce, institutional) and the demand-side (individual, societal) contributing towards the care cascade. The prime factors reflected in most of the studies were socio-economic condition, disease awareness, myths/beliefs, addictions among the demand-side factors and accessibility, the attitude of the healthcare staff, delay in referral for diagnosis among the system-side factors. The accountability for addressing these diverse factors is recommended to close the gaps in the TB care cascade.

Oral anti-tuberculosis drugs: An urgent medication reconciliation at hospitals in Indonesia

Background: Four oral anti-tuberculosis drugs are conceived to be the most effective ones to eradicate Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria and to obviate the resistant organisms. However, the patients’ adherence and medication discrepancies are obstacles to achieving the goal. This study aimed to define the anti-tuberculosis drugs used in the hospitals and to detect the discrepancies in the continuity of the tuberculosis treatment.

Design and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was based on medical records of adult patients, and was conducted in two district tertiary care hospitals. Only 35 out of 136 patient records from Hospital A and 33 out of 85 records from Hospital B met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The most common systemic anti-infective drugs in the study were ceftriaxone (51.80 DDD/100 patient-days) used in Hospital A and isoniazid (59.53 DDD/100 patient-days) used in Hospital B. The number of rifampicin prescriptions was less than that of isoniazid. Each patient received an average of two DDD/100 patient-days, which is an under dosage for an effective treatment.

Conclusion: This study showed a medication discrepancy of tuberculosis therapy. Tuberculosis patients’ medical histories are not under the full attention of treating physicians wherever they are admitted. Thus, medication reconciliation is needed to accomplish the goal of a Tuberculosis-free world in 2050.

Tuberculosis care cascade in Zambia - identifying the gaps in order to improve outcomes: a population-based analysis

OBJECTIVE

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Zambia, especially for people living with HIV (PLHIV). We undertook a care cascade analysis to quantify gaps in care and align programme improvement measures with areas of need.

DESIGN

Retrospective, population-based analysis.

SETTING

We derived national-level estimates for each step of the TB care cascade in Zambia. Estimates were informed by WHO incidence estimates, nationally aggregated laboratory and notification registers, and individual-level programme data from four provinces.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants included all individuals with active TB disease in Zambia in 2018. We characterised the overall TB cascade and disaggregated by drug susceptibility results and HIV status.

RESULTS

In 2018, the total burden of TB in Zambia was estimated to be 72 495 (range, 40 495-111 495) cases. Of these, 43 387 (59.8%) accessed TB testing, 40 176 (55.4%) were diagnosed with TB, 36 431 (50.3%) were started on treatment and 32 700 (45.1%) completed treatment. Among all persons with TB lost at any step along the care cascade (n=39 795), 29 108 (73.1%) were lost prior to accessing diagnostic services, 3211 (8.1%) prior to diagnosis, 3745 (9.4%) prior to initiating treatment and 3731 (9.4%) prior to treatment completion. PLHIV were less likely than HIV-negative individuals to successfully complete the care cascade (42.8% vs 50.2%, p<0.001). Among those with rifampicin-resistant TB, there was substantial attrition at each step of the cascade and only 22.8% were estimated to have successfully completed treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Losses throughout the care cascade resulted in a large proportion of individuals with TB not completing treatment. Ongoing health systems strengthening and patient-centred engagement strategies are needed at every step of the care cascade; however, scale-up of active case finding strategies is particularly critical to ensure individuals with TB in the population reach initial stages of care. Additionally, a renewed focus on PLHIV and individuals with drug-resistant TB is urgently needed to improve TB-related outcomes in Zambia.

Pyrosequencing for diagnosis of multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: A systemic review and meta-analysis

Background

Multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) pose major threats to global health. Diagnosis accuracy and delay have been the major drivers for the upsurge of M/XDR-TB. Pyrosequencing (PSQ) is a novel, real-time DNA sequencing for rapid detection of mutations associated with M/XDR-TB. We aimed to systematically synthesize the evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of PSQ for M/XDR-TB.

Methods

We conducted an electronic search of PubMed, Embase, Biosis, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to March 2020. We used the QUADAS‐2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) tool to assess the quality of studies, the BRMA (bivariate random‐effects meta-analysis) model to synthesize diagnostic accuracies, and the Rev-Man 5.4 software to perform the meta-analyses. We analyzed dichotomous data using the risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval. PROSPERO Registration ID: CRD42020200817.

Results

The analysis included seven studies, with a total sample of 3,165. At 95% confidence interval, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of PSQ were 89.7 (CI: 83.5–93.8) and 97.8 (CI: 94.9–99.1) for Isoniazid, 94.6 (CI: 90.9–96.8) and 98.5 (CI: 96.5–99.3) for Rifampicin, 87.9 (CI: 81.2–92.4) and 98.8 (CI: 97.2–99.5) for Fluoroquinolone, 83.5 (CI: 72.8–90.5) and 99.4 (CI: 98.3–99.8) for Amikacin, 79 (CI: 67–8-87) and 97.9 (CI: 95.5–99) for Capreomycin, and 69.6 (CI: 57–79.8) and 98.2 (CI: 95.9–99.2) for Kanamycin. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity were 85.8 (CI: 76.7–91.7) and 98.5 (CI: 96.5–99.3), respectively.

Conclusion

According to the pooled data, PSQ is highly sensitive and specific for detecting M/XDR-TB, both from clinical specimens and culture isolates, and within a shorter turnaround time. We suggest a continued synthesis of the evidence on the cost-effectiveness and technical feasibilities of PSQ in low-income countries context, including sub-Saharan Africa.

Chronological Metabolic Response to Intensive Phase TB Therapy in Patients with Cured and Failed Treatment Outcomes

Despite the arguable success of the standardized tuberculosis (TB) treatment regime, a significant number of patients still present with treatment failure. To improve on current TB treatment strategies, we sought to gain a better understanding of the hosts' response to TB therapy. A targeted metabolomics approach was used to compare the urinary acylcarnitine and amino acid profiles of eventually cured TB patients with those of patients presenting with a failed treatment outcome, comparing these patient groups at the time of diagnosis and at weeks 1, 2, and 4 of treatment. Among the significant metabolites identified were histidine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, valine, proline, tyrosine, alanine, serine, and γ-aminobutyric acid. In general, metabolite fluctuations in time followed a similar pattern for both groups for most compounds but with a delayed onset or shift of the pattern in the successfully treated patient group. These time-trends detected in both groups could potentially be ascribed to a vitamin B6 deficiency and fluctuations in the oxidative stress levels and urea cycle intermediates, linked to the drug-induced inhibition and stimulation of various enzymes. The earlier onset of observed trends in the failed patients is proposed to relate to genotypic and phenotypic variations in drug metabolizing enzymes, subsequently leading to a poor treatment efficiency either due to the rise of adverse drug reactions or to insufficient concentrations of the active drug metabolites. This study emphasizes the need for a more personalized TB treatment approach, by including enzyme phenotyping and the monitoring of oxidative stress and vitamin B6 levels, for example.

Understanding Nonadherence to Tuberculosis Medications in India Using Urine Drug Metabolite Testing: A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Poor adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is associated with disease recurrence and death. Little research has been conducted in India to understand TB medication nonadherence.

METHODS

We enrolled adult drug-susceptible TB patients, approximately half of whom were people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), in Chennai, Vellore, and Mumbai. We conducted a single unannounced home visit to administer a survey assessing reasons for nonadherence and collect a urine sample that was tested for isoniazid content. We described patient-reported reasons for nonadherence and identified factors associated with nonadherence (ie, negative urine test) using multivariable logistic regression. We also assessed the association between nonadherence and treatment outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 650 participants in the cohort, 77 (11.8%) had a negative urine test. Nonadherence was independently associated with daily wage labor (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.7; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-6.5; P = .03), the late continuation treatment phase (aOR, 2.0; CI, 1.1-3.9; P = .03), smear-positive pulmonary disease (aOR, 2.1; CI, 1.1-3.9; P = .03), alcohol use (aOR, 2.5; CI, 1.2-5.2; P = .01), and spending ≥30 minutes collecting medication refills (aOR, 6.6; CI, 1.5-29.5; P = .01). People with HIV reported greater barriers to collecting medications than non-PWH. Among 167 patients reporting missing doses, reported reasons included traveling from home, forgetting, feeling depressed, and running out of pills. The odds of unfavorable treatment outcomes were 4.0 (CI, 2.1-7.6) times higher among patients with nonadherence (P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

Addressing structural and psychosocial barriers will be critical to improve TB treatment adherence in India. Urine isoniazid testing may help identify nonadherent patients to facilitate early intervention during treatment.

Turning threats into opportunities: how to implement and advance quality TB services for people with HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

INTRODUCTION

Until COVID-19, tuberculosis (TB) was the leading infectious disease killer globally, disproportionally affecting people with HIV. The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the gains made in the fight against both diseases.

DISCUSSION

Although crucial guidance has been released on how to maintain TB and HIV services during the pandemic, it is acknowledged that what was considered normal service pre-pandemic needs to improve to ensure that we rebuild person-centred, inclusive and quality healthcare services. The threat that the pandemic may reverse gains in the response to TB and HIV may be turned into an opportunity by pivoting to using proven differentiated service delivery approaches and innovative technologies that can be used to maintain care during the pandemic and accelerate improved service delivery in the long term. Models of care should be convenient, supportive and sufficiently differentiated to avoid burdensome clinic visits for medication pick-ups or directly observed treatments. Additionally, the pandemic has highlighted the chronic and short-sighted lack of investment in health systems and the need to prioritize research and development to close the gaps in TB diagnosis, treatment and prevention, especially for children and people with HIV. Most importantly, TB-affected communities and civil society must be supported to lead the planning, implementation and monitoring of TB and HIV services, especially in the time of COVID-19 where services have been disrupted, and to report on legal, policy and gender-related barriers to access experienced by affected people. This will help to ensure that TB services are held accountable by affected communities for delivering equitable access to quality, affordable and non-discriminatory services during and beyond the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Successfully reaching the related targets of ending TB and AIDS as public health threats by 2030 requires rebuilding of stronger, more inclusive health systems by advancing equitable access to quality TB services, including for people with HIV, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, services must be rights-based, community-led and community-based, to ensure that no one is left behind.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards tuberculosis in Gambia: a nation-wide cross-sectional survey

Background

Early diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) are the mainstay of global and national TB control efforts. However, the gap between expected and reported cases persists for various reasons attributable to the TB services and care-seeking sides of the TB care cascade. Understanding individual and collective perspectives of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and other social circumstances around TB can inform an evidence-based approach in engaging communities and enhance their participation in TB case detection and treatment.

Methods

The study was conducted during the Gambian survey of TB prevalence. This was a nationwide cross-sectional multistage cluster survey with 43,100 participants aged ≥15 years in 80 clusters. The study sample, a random selection of 10% of the survey population within each cluster responded to a semi-structured questionnaire administered by trained fieldworkers to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the participants towards TB. Overall knowledge, attitude and practice scores were dichotomised using the computed mean scores and analysed using descriptive, univariable and multivariable logistic regression.

Results

All targeted participants (4309) were interviewed. Majority were females 2553 (59.2%), married 2614 (60.7%), had some form of education 2457 (57%), and were unemployed 2368 (55%). Although 3617 (83.9%) of the participants had heard about TB, only 2883 (66.9%) were considered to have good knowledge of TB. Overall 3320 (77%) had unfavourable attitudes towards TB, including 1896 (44%) who indicated a preference for staying away from persons with TB rather than helping them. However, 3607(83.7%) appeared to have the appropriate health-seeking behaviours with regard to TB as 4157 (96.5%) of them were willing to go to the health facility if they had symptoms suggestive of TB.

Conclusions

About 3 in 10 Gambians had poor knowledge on TB, and significant stigma towards TB and persons with TB persists. Interventions to improve TB knowledge and address stigma are required as part of efforts to reduce the burden of undiagnosed TB in the country.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12889-020-09685-3.