Time-to-Treatment Initiation in a Decentralised Community-Care Model of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Management in the OR Tambo District Municipality of South Africa.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) continues to challenge global efforts toward eradicating and having a tuberculosis-free world. Considering the high early mortality, especially among HIV-infected individuals, early diagnosis and prompt initiation of effective treatment are needed to significantly reduce mortality and halt transmission of DR-TB in the community.

Aim: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a community DR-TB care model with the specific objective of determining the Time-to-treatment initiation of DR-TB among patients in the OR Tambo district municipality.