Knowledge of Tuberculosis, Services of TB Control Programme and Associated Socio-Demographic Inequity among Rural Participants of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. India is still the highest TB burden country. There is a scarcity of data on TB knowledge from Rajasthan state of India. Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of knowledge about TB and services of TB control programme and to determine its correlates among rural population of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Methods: Cross-sectional community based study was carried out at Model Rural Health Research Unit, Jaipur, a unit of Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Results: Study reports the result from 1993 adult participants from 10 villages of 2 sub-districts of district Jaipur. About 88.9% of studied participants knew that TB is an infectious disease and it spreads from TB patient to healthy person in close contact. Only 22.3% of participants knew “DOTS is the treatment for TB”. While, only 58.9% knew “sputum is used for diagnosis of TB” at health centers. Scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes social groups knew less than the mainstream “General” social group. The observed difference was statistically significant (p 0.05). Logistic regression analysis estimated the relative contribution to knowledge status. Conclusion: The knowledge of study participants on transmission of tuberculosis was similar to knowledge of population in country wide study. They poorly knew sputum is used for diagnosing tuberculosis disease;socio-demographic inequity exists in this knowledge too. People from older age groups, underprivileged social groups and minority need extra educational activities.

Study of Active Screening to Detect Un-Registered Open Cases of Tuberculosis in Rural Areas of Capital District of Rajasthan, India

Tuberculosis is one among top 10 causes of deaths worldwide. Access to effective diagnosis by every TB patient is one among five missions of Global Plan. Active case finding among vulnerable groups has been the key focus area of National Strategic Plan to control TB in India 2017-25. This cross-sectional study was carried out to find out the additional open cases of TB through active screening of general & rural population in selected villages of Jaipur, the capital district in Rajasthan state of India. An active screening team of trained staff visited each house-hold in selected study villages for interviewing the head of house-hold or other adult member available at the time of visit. Family members of age ≥ 15 years were screened for complain of chronic cough of duration 2 weeks or more with study questionnaire. Presumptive cases found at screening were referred for seeking medical consultations from nearest designated microscopy centre. The referred patients were followed up on telephone up to five times for results of medical consultancies. Laboratory technicians of catchment DMCs were also followed up for verification of results. Total 19,306 individuals were covered. Study included 52.8% male, 69.3% ≥ 15 years age, and 99.3% Hindu participants. There were total 153 presumptive TB patients. Out of these, total 10 cases were confirmed as TB. The yield of detection was 0.51 cases/1000 population screened. Study finds active screening as a feasible and effective strategy in detecting additional cases of TB from general and rural population.

泰国成年HIV感染者的异烟肼预防性治疗

地点:曼谷2家HIV/AIDS门诊部。目的:虽然异烟肼预防性治疗(IPT)可降低HIV感染者发生活动性结核病的危险性,但在发展中国家应用尚少。WHO建议对HIV/结核菌素皮肤试验(TST)均阳性者,或高结核感染率而TST实行困难国家的所有HIV阳性者实施异烟肼预防性治疗。但未进行TST是否会影响IPT的依从性尚未可知。设计:曼谷市共有914例HIV阳性病人接受了IPT前的随机TST检查。根据病人自报告或药片计数方法测量病人的治疗依从性,并评价HIV阳性病人的IPT完成比例。结果:PPD阳性组和未进行TST检查组的自报告法治疗依从性为84.5%、79.7%,药片计数法治疗依从性为81.8%、73.9%(调整比值比[OR]及其95%可信区间[95%CI]为1.44,0.79-0.64和1.53,0.45-5.26)。TST检查组和未进行TST检查组的治疗前退组率为6.3%和1.7%(OR=3.93,95%CI:1.18-16.04)。结论:TST检查非IPT治疗依从性的预测因子,但与治疗前的较高退组率有关。两种方法均显示IPT的治疗依从性较高。