Factors Affecting Case Detection of Tuberculosis: Perspective of TB Patients in Sunyani-Municipal, Sunyani-West District and Tano North District, of Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by different species of mycobacteria. In 2006, among all the countries reporting to WHO,199 countries notified 5.1 million new and relapse cases, 2.4 million (47%) were new smear-positive cases. Annual review of the districts shows that the 75% case detection rate target for the year 2014, Tano-North obtained 40%, Sunyani Municipal 54% and Sunyani-West 47% rate. This study was therefore undertaken to determine the factors affecting case detection of tuberculosis in the Sunyani Municipal, Sunyani-West and Tano-North districts of Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. Methodology This was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted among 80 tuberculosis patients. A structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. The data collected were entered in Microsoft Excel and imported into STAT A version 13 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were conducted and Pearson's Chi square statistical test was employed to determine the association between the dependent variable and the independent variables. Results: out of the total of 80 respondents interviewed, 81.7% said TB is a disease. Majority (65.0%) of respondents know symptoms of TB (cough, fever, loss of appetite and tiredness), 92.5% of the patients interviewed spent 30 minutes at the facility, 1.20% of people diagnosed within two weeks, 91.2% of respondents stayed home one or more months after the start of signs and symptoms before seeking care. People sought health using non-orthodox facilities resulting in delays in reporting to biomedical facility. Conclusion: based on findings, case detection was being hampered by health seeking behavior as patients had several encounters with the biomedical health system before being diagnosed, hence it is concluded that screening for TB at health facilities were affecting case detection.