Local staff making sense of their tuberculosis data: key to quality care and ending tuberculosis.

The End TB Strategy's ambitious targets require universal health coverage, new tools and better data to monitor progress. To assess the feasibility of a novel approach, whereby facility and district staff analyse and use their tuberculosis (TB) data to strengthen the quality of patient care and data. This approach was piloted in Zimbabwe, and performance before and during the study were compared.

Challenges and opportunities to prevent tuberculosis in people living with HIV in low-income countries.

People living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLHIV) are at high risk for tuberculosis (TB), and TB is a major cause of death in PLHIV. Preventing TB in PLHIV is therefore a key priority. Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in asymptomatic PLHIV has a potent TB preventive effect, with even more benefits in those with advanced immunodeficiency.

Age-stratified tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Zimbabwe: are we paying attention to the most vulnerable?

A high tuberculosis (TB) incidence, resource-limited urban setting in Zimbabwe. To compare treatment outcomes among people initiated on first-line anti-tuberculosis treatment in relation to age and other explanatory factors. This was a retrospective record review of routine programme data.

Does the type of treatment supporter influence tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe National Tuberculosis Guidelines advise that direct observation of anti-tuberculosis treatment (DOT) can be provided by a family member/relative as a last resort. In 2011, in Nkayi District, of 763 registered tuberculosis (TB) patients, 59 (8%) received health facility-based DOT, 392 (51%) received DOT from a trained community worker and 306 (40%) from a family member/relative. There were no differences in TB treatment outcomes between the three DOT groups, apart from a higher frequency rate of 'no reported outcomes' for those receiving family-based DOT.