Integrated Management of Diabetes and Tuberculosis in Rural India - Results From a Pilot Study

Implementation strategies for providing optimised tuberculosis and diabetes integrated care in LMICs (POTENTIAL): protocol for a multiphase sequential and concurrent mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION

Almost a quarter of patients with tuberculosis (TB) in Pakistan may also have diabetes, with an additional quarter in a pre-diabetic state. Diabetes is a risk factor for TB. When it co-occurs with TB, it leads to poorer outcomes for both conditions, considerably increasing the burden on individuals, families and the healthcare system. We aim to improve health, quality of life and economic outcomes for people with TB and diabetes by optimising diabetes prevention, screening and management within TB care. The objectives of this study are to: (1) design an integrated optimised tuberculosis-diabetes care package (Opt-TBD) and its implementation strategies; (2) pilot and refine these implementation strategies and (3) implement and evaluate the Opt-TBD care package in 15 TB care facilities in Pakistan.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will work with the TB programme across two provinces of Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. TB care facilities will be selected from urban and rural settings of these provinces and will include three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary care settings. This multiphase mixed-method study has three sequential phases. Once ready, the care package and its implementation strategies will be piloted to inform further refinement. The package will be implemented in 15 urban and rural TB care facilities and evaluated for its Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance, and potential for scale-up. Quantitative data will assess provider adoption and the package's accessibility and effectiveness for patients with TB and with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Qualitative data will explore barriers and facilitators for successful implementation and scale-up. Data will be analysed using statistical methods-including descriptive and inferential statistics-for quantitative data and framework analysis for qualitative data, with triangulation to integrate findings.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was granted by the National Bioethics Committee of Pakistan (NBCR-1010). Findings will be shared through academic publications, conferences and public outreach.

Diabetes and tuberculosis syndemic in India: A narrative review of facts, gaps in care and challenges

Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are prevalent all across in India. TB-DM comorbidity has emerged as a syndemic and needs more attention in India considering gaps in screening, clinical care, and research. This paper is intended to review published literature on TB and DM in India to understand the burden of the dual epidemic and its trajectory and to obtain perspectives on the gaps, constraints, and challenges in care and treatment of this dual epidemic. A literature search was carried out on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using the key words 'Tuberculosis' OR 'TB' AND 'Diabetes' OR 'Diabetes Mellitus' AND 'India', focusing on the research published between the year 2000 to 2022. The prevalence of DM is high in patients with TB. Quantitative data on the epidemiological situation of TB/DM in India such as incidence, prevalence, mortality, and management are lacking. During the last 2 years convergence of TB-DM syndemic with the COVID-19 pandemic has increased cases with uncontrolled DM but also made coordinated control of TB-DM operationally difficult and of low effectiveness. Research regarding TB-DM comorbidity is required in the context of epidemiology and management. Detection and bidirectional screening are aggressively warranted. Management of DM in those with TB-DM comorbidity needs more efforts, including training and supervision of frontline workers.

Prevalence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Diabetic Patients: Epidemiology, Immunological Basis, and Its Amalgamated Management

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most widespread and infectious diseases in the world, which is brought on by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Most infection lacks traditional signs. Latent TB is the name given to this ailment. Of these latent infections, 10% become active and cause illness. Fever, night sweats, a prolonged cough with blood-containing mucus, and weight loss are common signs of active TB infection. Diabetes, on the other hand, is a group of metabolic illnesses characterized by elevated serum glucose levels. It is a chronic metabolic condition brought on by a deficiency in insulin secretion or resistance. It is of two types, that is, type 1 and type 2. Among all the cases of diabetes, the occurrence of type 2 is more common and less fatal than type 1. The prevalence of diabetes is currently increasing in low- and middle-income nations. As both diabetes and TB come under the most widespread chronic condition; therefore, their combined effect is evaluated. In recent years, the higher occurrence of TB in patients with hyperglycemia has come to light. People with elevated blood glucose levels exhibit several risk factors that make them more vulnerable to contracting TB. This review provides information on epidemiological data about the prevalence of TB in patients with hyperglycemia. In addition, this paper discusses the immunological underpinnings of TB development in patients with diabetes mellitus and how glycemic management reduces the risk of TB infection. It illustrates how the clinical signs and radiographic evidence of TB differ between people with diabetes and healthy people and mentions diabetes and TB combined management.