Determinants of tuberculosis in Indigenous people worldwide

Spatial-temporal evolution of tuberculosis incidence rates in indigenous and non-indigenous people of Brazil, from 2011 to 2022

OBJECTIVE

To describe the space-time evolution of TB incidence rates (TI) in indigenous and non-indigenous people, according to the Federative Units (UF) of Brazil, from 2011 to 2022.

METHODS

Ecological, temporal, and spatial study on new tuberculosis cases in Brazil among indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan) were collected from 2011 to 2022 and stratified by Federal Unit, explored and statistically analyzed using R software version 4.2.3.

RESULTS

The mean TI among indigenous populations in Brazil was 71.7 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while for non-indigenous populations it was 28.6/100,000 inhabitants. The regions of the country that presented the highest (mean) incidence among indigenous populations were: Central-West (102.8/100,000 inhabitants), Southeast (99.6/100,000 inhabitants), and North (79.9/100,000 inhabitants). For non-indigenous populations the highest incidence was in the North region (36.5/100,000 inhabitants), followed by the Southeast (31.3/100,000), and the Northeast (27,4/100,000 inhabitants). The analysis showed that the highest incidence of TB cases among indigenous populations occurred in the states of: SP, RO, RJ, MS, MT e PA.

CONCLUSION

High incidence of the disease compared to the non-indigenous population show the need for a specific approach to address the health needs of these populations. Regional disparities in incidence indicate the need to address socioeconomic and infrastructure issues that affect the health of indigenous populations.

Factors Associated with Mortality with Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Indigenous Populations in Peru 2015-2019

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors associated with mortality in indigenous populations diagnosed with tuberculosis in Peru, 2015-2019.

METHODS

We conducted a nested case-control study in a retrospective cohort using the registry of indigenous peoples of the National Health Strategy for TB Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health of Peru. A descriptive analysis was performed, and then bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between the variables and the outcome (alive-deceased). The results are shown as OR with their respective 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The mortality rate of the total indigenous population of Peru was 1.75 deaths per 100,000 indigenous people diagnosed with TB. The community of Kukama Kukamiria-Yagua reported 505 (28.48%) individuals, followed by the Shipibo-Konibo community with 385. The final logistic model showed that indigenous males (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.001-3.7) with a history of HIV prior to TB (OR = 16.7; 95% CI: 4.7-58.7), and indigenous people in old age (OR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.5-5.7) were factors associated with a greater chance of dying from TB.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to reorient health services among indigenous populations, especially those related to improving a timely diagnosis and early treatment of TB/HIV co-infection, to ensure comprehensive care for this population considering that they are vulnerable groups.

Higher native Peruvian genetic ancestry proportion is associated with tuberculosis progression risk

We investigated whether ancestry-specific genetic factors affect tuberculosis (TB) progression risk in a cohort of admixed Peruvians. We genotyped 2,105 patients with TB and 1,320 household contacts (HHCs) who were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) but did not develop TB and inferred each individual’s proportion of native Peruvian genetic ancestry. Our HHC study design and our data on potential confounders allowed us to demonstrate increased risk independent of socioeconomic factors. A 10% increase in individual-level native Peruvian genetic ancestry proportion corresponded to a 25% increased TB progression risk. This corresponds to a 3-fold increased risk for individuals in the highest decile of native Peruvian genetic ancestry versus the lowest decile, making native Peruvian genetic ancestry comparable in effect to clinical factors such as diabetes. Our results suggest that genetic ancestry is a major contributor to TB progression risk and highlight the value of including diverse populations in host genetic studies.

Our understanding of how genetic differences among human populations may affect susceptibility to infectious diseases is very limited. Asgari et al. show that the proportion of native genetic ancestry in contemporary Peruvians affects the risk of progression from latent to active tuberculosis even after accounting for differences in socio-demographic factors.

Amerindian genetic ancestry as a risk factor for tuberculosis in an amazonian population

In recent years, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) has declined worldwide, although this disease still occurs at relatively high rates in Amerindian populations. This suggests that the genetic ancestry of Amerindians may be an important factor in the development of infections, and may account for at least some of the variation in infection rates in the different populations. The present study investigated the potential influence of Amerindian genetic ancestry on susceptibility to tuberculosis in an Amazon population. The study included 280 patients diagnosed with tuberculosis and 138 asymptomatic hospital employees with no history of TB, but who were in contact with bacterially active TB patients. Ancestry analysis was run on a set of 61 Ancestry-Informative Markers to estimate European, African, and Amerindian genetic ancestry using STRUCTURE v2.2. The TB group had significantly higher Amerindian ancestry in comparison with the control group, and significantly lower European ancestry. Amerindian ancestry in the 20–60% range was found to be the principal risk factor for increased susceptibility to TB. The results of the study indicate that Amerindian ancestry is an important risk factor for susceptibility to TB in the admixed population of the Brazilian Amazon region.

The missing voices of Indigenous Australians in the social, cultural and historical experiences of tuberculosis: a systematic and integrative review

Introduction

Disparities in tuberculosis (TB) rates exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in many countries, including Australia. The social determinants of health are central to health inequities including disparities in TB rates. There are limitations in the dominant biomedical and epidemiological approaches to representing, understanding and addressing the unequal burden of TB for Indigenous peoples represented in the literature. This paper applies a social determinants of health approach and examines the structural, programmatic and historical causes of inequities for TB in Indigenous Australia.

Methods

Aboriginal Australians’ families in northern New South Wales who are affected by TB initiated this investigation. A systematic search of published literature was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Informit ATSIhealth databases, the Australian Indigenous Health, InfoNet and Google. Ninety-five records published between 1885 and 2019 were categorised and graphed over time, inductively coded and thematically analysed.

Results

Indigenous Australians’ voices are scarce in the TB literature and absent in the development of TB policies and programmes. Epidemiological reports are descriptive and technical and avoid analysis of social processes involved in the perpetuation of TB. For Indigenous Australians, TB is more than a biomedical diagnosis and treatment; it is a consequence of European invasion and a contributor to dispossession and the ongoing fight for justice. The introduction and spread of TB has resulted in the stealing of lives, family, community and cultures for Indigenous Australians. Racist policies and practices predominate in the experiences of individuals and families as consequences of, and resulting in, ongoing structural and systematic exclusion.

Conclusion

Development of TB policies and programmes requires reconfiguration. Space must be given for Indigenous Australians to lead, be partners and to have ownership of decisions about how to eliminate TB. Shared knowledge between Indigenous Australians, policy makers and service managers of the social practices and structures that generate TB disparity for Indigenous Australians is essential.

A social determinant of health approach will shift the focus to the social structures that cause TB. Collaboration with Indigenous partners in research is critical, and use of methods that amplify Indigenous peoples' voices and reconfigure power relations in favour of Indigenous Australians in the process is required.