Predictors of mortality and treatment success of multi-drug resistant and Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: a retrospective cohort analysis of patients initiated on treatment during 2010 to 2015.

Introduction: Zimbabwe is one of the 30 countries globally with a high burden of multidrug-resistant TB or rifampicin-resistant TB. The World Health Organization recommended that patients diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB be treated with 20-24 month standardized second-line drugs since 2010. However, factors associated with mortality and treatment success have not been systematically evaluated in Zimbabwe.

The role of bacteriological monitoring using culture and drug susceptibility tests (CDST) on treatment outcomes among MDR/RR-TB patients on treatment: a cohort analysis of patients enrolled on treatment 2010-2015 in Zimbabwe.

Introduction: an estimated 25% of the world population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2017, new tuberculosis cases were estimated at 10 million, while 1.6 million tuberculosis related deaths were recorded, 25% residing in Africa.

Catastrophic costs among tuberculosis-affected households in Zimbabwe: A national health facility-based survey.

Objectives: To determine the incidence and major drivers of catastrophic costs among TB-affected households in Zimbabwe.

Methods: We conducted a nationally representative health facility-based survey with random cluster sampling among consecutively enrolled drug-susceptible (DS-TB) and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients. Costs incurred and income lost due to TB illness were captured using an interviewer-administered standardised questionnaire.

Treatment outcomes of multi drug resistant and rifampicin resistant Tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: A cohort analysis of patients initiated on treatment during 2010 to 2015.

Background: Zimbabwe is one of the thirty countries globally with a high burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). Since 2010, patients diagnosed with MDR/RR-TB are being treated with 20-24 months of standardized second-line drugs (SLDs). The profile, management and factors associated with unfavourable treatment outcomes of MDR/RR TB have not been systematically evaluated in Zimbabwe.

Prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: A health facility-based cross-sectional survey.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of resistance to rifampicin alone; rifampicin and isoniazid, and second-line anti-TB drugs among sputum smear-positive tuberculosis patients in Zimbabwe.

Design: A health facility-based cross-sectional survey.

Results: In total, 1114 (87.

Access to second-line drug susceptibility testing results among patients with Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis after introduction of the Hain Line Probe Assay in Southern provinces, Zimbabwe.

Objectives: To determine the proportion of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) patients who accessed second-line drug susceptibility testing (SL-DST) results following introduction of the Hain technology in southern provinces, Zimbabwe.

Design: Cohort study using secondary data.

Results: Xpert MTB/RIF results were used to identify 133 RR-TB patients for this study.

Tuberculosis treatment delays and associated factors within the Zimbabwe national tuberculosis programme.

Background: Delayed presentation of pulmonary TB (PTB) patients for treatment from onset of symptoms remains a threat to controlling individual disease progression and TB transmission in the community. Currently, there is insufficient information about treatment delays in Zimbabwe, and we therefore determined the extent of patient and health systems delays and their associated factors in patients with microbiologically confirmed PTB.

Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered at 47 randomly selected health facilities in Zimbabwe by trained health workers to all patients aged ≥18 years with microbiologically confirmed PTB who were started on TB treatment and entered in the health facility TB registers between 01 January and 31 March 2013.