Deprioritized and disrupted
Tuberculosis care in the shadow of Covid-19
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22070938 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sushant Sharma (0000-0002-1935-4285, University of Waterloo, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 1651902-1651902 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-07 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1651902 |
| PMID | 41283035 |
| OpenAlex | W4415982059 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 14 |
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted tuberculosis (TB) care worldwide, undermining years of progress in TB prevention and control. This Perspective offers a comparative analysis of how TB services were affected in a high-income, low-burden country (Canada) versus two low- and middle-income, high-burden countries (India and Nigeria). Drawing on secondary data and global surveillance reports, the article highlights key disruptions across the TB care cascade, including delays in diagnosis, reduced case detection, and the collapse of community-based treatment models like DOTS. In Canada, digital transitions partially mitigated the impact, though access was unequal. In contrast, India and Nigeria faced widespread diagnostic interruptions, compounded by preexisting infrastructure gaps and limited digital access. The comparison reveals how underlying health system strength and digital readiness shaped national responses and recovery trajectories. Crucially, the pandemic exposed policy inertia and the deprioritization of routine infectious disease care in crisis contexts. This article calls for a global rethink of public health preparedness that centers on equity, continuity of essential services, and support for high burden settings. By analyzing divergent country experiences, this Perspective contributes actionable insights for strengthening TB programs and public health systems during future pandemics
Global health · Health care · Pandemic · Preparedness · Public health · Tuberculosis · Global Health and Surgery · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
The novel coronavirus (Covid-2019) outbreak
Tuberculosis service disruptions and adaptations during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in the private health sector of two urban settings in Nigeria—A mixed methods study
Barriers and strategies to successful tuberculosis treatment in a high-burden tuberculosis setting
| Highly cited | No |
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