Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes Using Treatment Supporters in Ketu South Municipality of Volta Region in Ghana
Date
2013-07
Authors
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
Introduction: The current global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic has put pressure on health
care managers, especially those in the developing countries to seek innovative ways of
delivering effective treatment to TB patients. One of the strategies employed is directly
observed therapy for all patients where community members are used to supervise TB
patients during the treatment regimen. Even though treatment supporters are used to
improve the situation, proportion cured and completing treatment are still low. This study
conducted in Ketu South municipality of the Volta region in Ghana on tuberculosis treatment
outcomes using treatment supporters was to determine treatment supporter factors
influencing treatment outcomes in the municipality.
Methods: The study was a cross sectional study, using quantitative method to collect data
on 137 TB clients and their treatment supporters. Tuberculosis records were reviewed to
determine the proportion of TB clients cured, completed treatment and defaulted after which
a questionnaire was used to collect data from their treatment supporters. The data was
analyzed using SPSS and Stata. Univariate, chi-squared and logistic regression analyses
were done to determine proportions, differences and strengths of associations between the
independent variables and the dependent variables
Results: Tuberculosis case detection for the municipality was 96.1% with a treatment
success of 79.6%. Treatment outcome for cure, completion and treatment default were
66.7%, 81.9% and 20.4% respectively. It was realized that some treatment supporter factors
influenced treatment cure of the TB clients. These factors include: age of treatment supporter
being older or younger than the TB client, marital status of the supporter, selection of the
treatment supporter and treatment supporter’s knowledge on TB.
Conclusions and Recommendations: Tuberculosis clients are more likely to be cured when
they are supervised by people, who are older than them, married, have good knowledge on
TB and are selected by the TB clients themselves. Financial challenge and time spent on
supervising drug intake are the main challenges faced by the treatment supporters in Ketu
South municipality.
It is recommended that DHMT should make sure institutional
coordinators, disease control officers and Community health nurses visit the treatment
supporters regularly during the course of treatment National Tuberculosis control
Programme (NTP) should provide enabler’s package for treatment supporters.
Description
Thesis (MPH) - University of Ghana, 2013