Use of indicators of standards of care to improve tuberculosis program management in Ethiopia.

Background: Systematic monitoring of health programs and on-site mentoring of health workers are essential for the success of health care. This operations research was designed to measure the effectiveness of a new mentorship and supervisory tool for supervisors.

Methods: In 2011 the Help Ethiopia Address the Low TB Performance (HEAL TB) Project used WHO or national TB indicators as standards of care (SOC) for baseline assessment, progress monitoring, gap identification, assessment of health workers' capacity-building needs, and data quality assurance.

Uptake of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy among Under-Five Children: TB Contact Investigation as an Entry Point.

A child's risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) can be reduced by nearly 60% with administration of 6 months course of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT). However, uptake of IPT by national TB programs is low, and IPT delivery is a challenge in many resource-limited high TB-burden settings. Routinely collected program data was analyzed to determine the coverage and outcome of implementation of IPT for eligible under-five year old children in 28 health facilities in two regions of Ethiopia.

Predictors of loss to follow-up in antiretroviral treatment for adult patients in the Oromia region, Ethiopia.

Purpose: It is known that antiretroviral treatment (ART) reduces mortality from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome related causes. Patient's lost to follow-up (LTFU) in this treatment poses a paramount problem to the public and health care services. Information on predictors of loss to follow-up is scarce in this study area and similar settings.

The synergy between TB and HIV co-infection on perceived stigma in Ethiopia.

Background: The synergy between tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection on perceived stigma is not well studied. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of TB/HIV co-infection on perceived stigma in selected hospitals of Oromiya region, Ethiopia. A cross sectional study was conducted from February to April, 2009 in Adama, Nekemet and Jimma Specialized hospitals.

Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection: its impact on quality of life.

Background: Very little is known about the quality of life of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infected patients. In this study in Ethiopia, we compared the quality of life HIV positive patients with and without TB.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from February to April, 2009 in selected hospitals in Oromiya Regional state, Ethiopia.