Drug resistance profiles of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and factors associated with drug resistance in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon.

Background: Anti-tuberculosis drug resistance continues to be a major obstacle to tuberculosis (TB) control programmes with HIV being a major risk factor in developing TB. We investigated anti-TB drug resistance profiles and the impact of socioeconomic as well as behavioural factors on the prevalence of TB and drug resistance in two regions of Cameroon with such data paucity.

Methods: This was a hospital-based study in which 1706 participants, comprising 1133 females and 573 males consecutively enrolled from selected TB and HIV treatment centres of the Northwest and Southwest regions.