Diagnostic and treatment delay in tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis control can be effectively achieved if individuals with the disease receive adequate and timely treatment. The national tuberculosis control programmes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region are able to detect on average one third of smear-positive tuberculosis cases, while the rest continue to transmit infection in the community until treated, whether adequately, or inadequately by other health sectors. Analysis of health-seeking behaviour of patients managed by the national control programmes can shed light on those patients that are not detected by their programmes, and provide detailed information on other health care providers' practice and their contribution in increasing the duration of infectivity in the community. This multicountry study was conducted in order to obtain reliable information about the extent of diagnostic and treatment delay and the factors involved. It is detailed analysis of the health-seeking behaviour of tuberculosis patients from onset of symptoms until reaching the health system, final diagnosis and treatment. The information provided by this study could assist health policy-makers in devising suitable interventions in order to increase case detection and reduce transmission of infection in the community, and hence achieve proper tuberculosis control