The long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tuberculosis care and infection control measures in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinics in low- and middle-income countries
A multiregional site survey in Asia and Africa
Datos Bibliográficos
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic challenged healthcare systems, particularly in settings with high infectious disease burden. We examined the postpandemic long-term impacts of COVID-19 on tuberculosis (TB) services at anti-retroviral therapy (ART) clinics in lower-income countries. METHODS: Using standardised online questionnaires, we conducted a cross-sectional site survey among ART clinics providing TB services in Africa and Asia from July to September 2023 (site-level information and number of TB diagnoses and tests). RESULTS: Of 45 participating ART clinics, 32 (71%) were in Africa and 13 (29%) in Asia. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022), 43 (96%) clinics reported implementing social distancing or separation measures, 39 (87%) personal protections for staff members and 32 (71%) protections for patients. Infection control measures were in place in 45% of the clinics before the pandemic (until 2019), 23% introduced measures during the pandemic and 15% maintained them after the pandemic (after 2022). Service provision was affected during the pandemic in 33 (73%) clinics, including TB services in 22 (49%) clinics. TB service restrictions were addressed by introducing changes in directly observed therapy provision in 8 (18%) clinics, multimonth TB drug dispensing in 23 (51%), telehealth services in 25 (56%) and differentiated service delivery in 19 (42%). These changes were sustained after the pandemic at 4 (9%), 11 (24%), 17 (38%) and 12 (27%) clinics, respectively. Compared with 2018-2019, the number of TB diagnoses decreased sharply in 2020-2021 and improved after the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 affected TB care services in ART clinics in Africa and Asia. This was paralleled by a reduction in TB diagnoses, which partly resumed after the pandemic. Infection control measures and alternative modes of service delivery were adopted during the pandemic and only partially maintained. Efforts should be made to sustain the lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly approaches that reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, including TB, in ART clinics
Disease · Economic growth · Environmental health · Family medicine · Health care · Pandemic · Public health · Telehealth · Telemedicine · Tuberculosis · Antibiotic Use and Resistance · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Nursing · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology · Internal Medicine
Reimagining HIV service delivery
Potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in low-income and middle-income countries
The Burden of Covid-19 in People Living with HIV
Potential effects of disruption to HIV programmes in sub-Saharan Africa caused by Covid-19
Research electronic data capture (Redcap)—A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support
The Redcap consortium
India’s syndemic of tuberculosis and Covid-19
Integrating services for HIV and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
Tuberculosis in times of Covid-19
| Obras citantes distintas | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citas por año | 1 |
| Intervalo de citas | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Velocidad de citación | current |
| Altamente citado | No |
| Tipos de cita | Neutras: 1 |