Pre-treatment loss to follow-up and treatment delay among bacteriologically-confirmed tuberculosis patients diagnosed in Mandalay Region, Myanmar.

Background: Pre-treatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU) among tuberculosis (TB) patients is a global public health problem, because such patients are highly infectious and experience high mortality. There is no published evidence on this issue from Myanmar.

Objective: To determine PTLFU and treatment delays (> 7 days duration between the date of diagnosis and starting anti-TB treatment) and their associated demographic, clinical, and health system-related factors among bacteriologically confirmed (sputum smear-positive and/or Xpert-positive) TB patients diagnosed in public health facilities of the Mandalay Region between January and June 2017.