Risk factors for disruptions in tuberculosis care in Uganda during the Covid-19 pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID19591949
AuthorsPeter D Jackson (0000-0001-5108-9381, Virginia Commonwealth University, corresponding author), Stella Zawedde‐Muyanja (0000-0002-8823-7082, Makerere University), Stella Zawedde Muyanja, Isaac Sekitoleko (0000-0002-7951-5458, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Mudarshiru Bbuye (0000-0002-8635-2925, Makerere University), Madeline Helwig (0009-0003-3860-4168, Virginia Commonwealth University), Roma Padalkar (0000-0002-6981-3822, Rowan University), Mariam Hammad, Muhammad Bin Hammad (Virginia Commonwealth University), Dennis Hopkinson, Dennis A Hopkinson (0000-0002-7161-5972, Duke University), Trishul Siddharthan (0000-0001-9914-1839, University of Miami)
EditorsCesar Ugarte-Gil
Year2023
Volume3
Issue6
Pagese0001573
Publication date2023-06-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0001573
PMID37267249
OpenAlexW4379197140
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited22

Background : During the COVID-19 pandemic, TB mortality increased while diagnoses decreased, likely due to care disruption. In March, 2020, Uganda—a country with high TB burden, implemented a COVID-19 lockdown with associated decrease in TB diagnoses. This study aims to examine patient level risk factors for disruption in TB care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. This retrospective cross-sectional cohort study included six TB clinics in Uganda. Clustered sampling included phases of TB care and three time-periods: pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown. Characteristics of patients with TB care disruption (TBCD), defined as those with > 2 months of symptoms prior to diagnosis or who missed a TB clinic, and those without TB care disruption (non-TBCD) were analyzed between time-periods. 1,624 charts were reviewed; 1322 were contacted, 672 consented and completed phone interview; pre-lockdown (n = 213), lockdown (n = 189) and post-lockdown (n = 270). TBCD occurred in 57% (385/672) of patients. There was an increase in the proportion of urban patients in the TBCD and non-TBCD groups during post-lockdown (p

Cohort · Disease · Environmental health · Family medicine · Pandemic · Population · Retrospective cohort study · Socioeconomic status · Tuberculosis · COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies · Demography · Medicine · Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology · Emergency Medicine · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics