Original Research Factors associated with successful treatment outcomes among tuberculosis patients in a district municipality of Vhembe, Limpopo

Busisiwe Mkhavele, Slindile Zondi, Lindiwe Cele, Mabina Mogale, Margeret Mbelle

South African Family Practice | Vol 67, No 1 : Part 1| a6030 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v67i1.6030 | © 2025 Busisiwe Mkhavele, Slindile Zondi, Lindiwe Cele, Mabina Mogale, Margeret Mbelle | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 28 August 2024 | Published: 31 January 2025

About the author(s) Busisiwe Mkhavele, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Slindile Zondi, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Lindiwe Cele, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Mabina Mogale, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Margeret Mbelle, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Treatment success rate is a critical indicator for monitoring the progress of tuberculosis (TB) treatment programmes at both the patient and population levels. It informs decisions about resource allocation and the effectiveness of TB control strategies. This study aimed to determine the level of TB cure rates and the factors associated with treatment success among TB patients receiving TB care in the Collins Chabane municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa.

Methods: Medical records from April 2020 to March 2021 of 289 patients attending primary health care facilities, initiated on anti-TB treatment were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data and modified Poisson regression was used to determine factors associated with treatment success. Statistical software Epi Info was used for analysis.

Results: Of the 289 TB cases, 282 (97.6%) were newly initiated on TB treatment. Of these, 37.0% were cured, followed by 29.0% who defaulted treatment, 22.3% who completed the treatment and 11.7% who died during treatment. The likelihood of successful treatment outcomes was significantly associated with marital status, supervised treatment and distance travelled to a health facility. A higher likelihood of success was observed among patients who were single and 27.0% of those had supervised treatments.

Conclusion: Tuberculosis patients continue to die in the course of treatment. Supervised treatment is a predictor of successful treatment outcomes.

Contributions: This study highlight the need for heightened advocacy for supervised TB treatment and increased effort to combat the death of patients while on TB treatment.

Keywords

tuberculosis; Vhembe district; tuberculosis cure rate; treatment success; treatment outcome

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