A comparative analysis of two national tuberculosis reporting systems and their impact on tuberculosis case notification in Uganda.

Background: Before 2018, the use of parallel tuberculosis (TB) reporting systems was resource intensive with duplication of efforts and hence the need to select one that contributed to better TB case notification at the National TB and Leprosy Program (NLTP) in Uganda. We sought to analyse the difference in reporting rates between the two systems in order to improve NTLP TB case notification rates, logistics management, and planning for better health service delivery initiatives.

Methods: We conducted a comparative study to assess TB case notification between the web-based DHIS2 and the district TB supervisor-led health management information system between January 2016 to December 2017.

Community-based directly observed therapy is effective and results in better treatment outcomes for patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Uganda.

Background: Health facility-based directly observed therapy (HF DOT) is the main strategy for the management of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR TB) in Uganda, however, this still yields sub-optimal treatment outcomes. We set out to assess the effectiveness of community-based directly observed therapy (CB DOT) for the treatment of DR TB in Uganda.

Methods: Using a previously developed patient-centered model for CB DOT, we assigned community health workers (CHWs) as primary caregivers to patients diagnosed with DR TB.

Integrating interferon-gamma release assay testing into provision of tuberculosis preventive therapy is feasible in a tuberculosis high burden resource-limited setting: A mixed methods study.

The World Health Organization recommends the scale-up of tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) for persons at risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) as a key component to end the global TB epidemic. We sought to determine the feasibility of integrating testing for latent TB infection (LTBI) using interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) into the provision of TPT in a resource-limited high TB burden setting. We conducted a parallel convergent mixed methods study at four tertiary referral hospitals.

Developing a patient-centered community-based model for management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Uganda: a discrete choice experiment.

Background: The advent of all-oral regimens for the management of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) makes the implementation of community-based directly observed therapy (CB-DOT) a possibility for this group of patients. We set out to determine patient preferences for different attributes of a community-based model for the management of MDR-TB in Uganda.

Methods: The study was conducted at five tertiary referral hospitals.