Improving TB Case Detection Through Active Case-Finding: Results of Multiple Intervention Strategies in Hard-to-Reach Riverine Areas of Southern Nigeria.

Background: A major challenge to TB control globally is low case detection, largely due to routine health facility-based passive case-finding employed by national TB control programs. Active case-finding is a risk-population-based screening approach that has been established to be effective in TB control. This intervention aimed to increase TB case detection in hard-to-reach areas in southern Nigeria.

Methods: Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, we conducted implementation research in 15 hard-to-reach riverine local government areas with historically recognized low TB case notification rates. Individuals with TB symptoms were screened using multiple strategies. Data were collected quarterly over a 4-year period using reporting tools and checklists. Descriptive analysis was done with Microsoft Excel spreadsheet 2019.

Results: A total of 1,089,129 individuals were screened: 16,576 in 2017; 108,102 in 2018; 697,165 in 2019; and 267,286 in 2020. Of those screened, 24,802 (2.3%) were identified as presumptive TB, of which 88.8% were tested and 10% were diagnosed with TB (0.23% of those screened). TB notifications more than doubled, increasing by 183.3% and 137.5% in the initial implementation and scale-up, respectively. On average, 441 individuals needed to be screened to diagnose 1 TB case. The cases, predominantly males (56.1%) and aged 15 years and older (77.4%), comprised 71.9% bacteriologically confirmed drug-sensitive TB, 25.8% clinically diagnosed drug-sensitive TB, and 2.3% drug-resistant cases. Detection sources included community outreach (1,786), health facilities (505), people living with HIV (57), and household contacts of bacteriologically confirmed TB cases (123). Remarkably, 98.1% of diagnosed TB cases commenced treatment.

Conclusions: We found a significant yield in TB case notifications, more than doubling the baseline figures. Given these successful results, we recommend prioritizing resources to support active case-finding strategies in national programs, especially in hard-to-reach areas with high-risk populations, to address TB more comprehensively.