Missed opportunities for TB diagnostic testing among people living with HIV in Zimbabwe: Cross-sectional analysis of the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHIA) survey 2015-16.

Background: Using data from the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment survey 2015-2016, we examined the TB care cascade and factors associated with not receiving TB diagnostic testing among adult PLHIV with TB symptoms. Methods: Statistical Analysis was limited to PLHIV aged 15 years and older in HIV care. Weighted logistic regression with not receiving TB testing as outcome was adjusted for covariates with crude odd ratios (ORs) with p < 0.25. All analyses accounted for multistage survey design. Results: Among 3507 adult PLHIV in HIV care, 2288 (59.7 %, 95 % CI:58.1-61.3) were female and 2425 (63.6 %, 95 % CI:61.1-66.1) lived in rural areas. 1197(48.7 %, 95 % CI:46.5-51.0) reported being screened for TB symptoms at their last HIV care visit. In the previous 12 months, 639 (26.0 %, 95 % CI:23.9-28.1) reported having symptoms and of those, 239 (37.8 %, 95 % CI:33.3-42.2) received TB testing. Of PLHIV tested for TB, 36 (49.5 %, 95 % CI:35.0-63.1) were diagnosed with TB; 32 (90.3 %, 95 % CI:78.9-100) of those diagnosed with TB received treatment. Never having used IPT was associated with not receiving TB testing. Conclusion: The results suggest suboptimal utilization of TB screening and diagnostic testing among PLHIV. New approaches are needed to reach opportunities missed in the HIV/TB integrated services.

Tuberculosis preventive treatment uptake among adults living with human immunodeficiency virus: Analysis of Zimbabwe population-based human immunodeficiency virus impact assessment 2020.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death by an infectious disease among people living with HIV (PLHIV). TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) is a cost-effective intervention known to reduce morbidity and mortality. We used data from ZIMPHIA 2020 to assess TPT uptake and factors associated with its use. METHODOLOGY: ZIMPHIA a cross-sectional household survey, estimated HIV treatment outcomes among PLHIV aged ≥15 years. Randomly selected participants provided demographic and clinical information. We applied multivariable logistic regression models using survey weights. Variances were estimated via the Jackknife series to determine factors associated with TPT uptake. RESULTS: The sample of 2419 PLHIV ≥15 years had 65% females, 44% had no primary education, and 29% lived in urban centers. Overall, 38% had ever taken TPT, including 15% currently taking TPT. Controlling for other variables, those screened for TB at last HIV-related visit, those who visited a TB clinic in the previous 12 months, and those who had HIV viral load suppression were more likely to take TPT. CONCLUSION: The findings show suboptimal TPT coverage among PLHIV. There is a need for targeted interventions and policies to address the barriers to TPT uptake, to reduce TB morbidity and mortality among PLHIV.

Tuberculosis cohort analysis in Zimbabwe: The need to strengthen patient follow-up throughout the tuberculosis care cascade.

INTRODUCTION: Globally people with tuberculosis (TB) continue to be missed each year. They are either not diagnosed or not reported which indicates possible leakages in the TB care cascade. Zimbabwe is not spared with over 12000 missed cases in 2020. A preliminary review of TB treatment outcomes indicated patient leakages throughout the presumptive cascade and undesirable treatment outcomes in selected cities. Chegutu District had pre-diagnosis and pretreatment losses to follow-up while Mutare City among others had 22.0% of outcomes not evaluated in the second quarter of 2021, and death rates as high as 14% were recorded in Gweru District. The problem persists despite training on data analysis and use. The TB cohorts were analysed to determine the performance of the care cascade and the spatial distribution of treatment outcomes in Zimbabwe. METHODS: Using data from district health information software version 2.3 (DHIS2.3), a secondary data analysis of 2020 drug-sensitive (DS) TB treatment cohorts was conducted. We calculated the percentage of pre-diagnosis, and pre-treatment loss to follow-up (LTFU). For TB treatment outcomes, 'cured' and 'treatment completed' were categorized as treatment success, while 'death', 'loss to follow-up (LTFU), and 'not evaluated' were categorized as undesirable outcomes. Univariate analysis of the data was conducted where frequencies were calculated, and data was presented in graphs for the cascade, treatment success, and undesirable outcomes while tables were created for the description of study participants and data quality. QGIS was used to generate maps showing undesirable treatment outcomes. RESULTS: An analysis of national data found 107583 people were presumed to have TB based on symptomatic screening and or x-ray and 21.4% were LTFU before the specimen was investigated. Of the 84534 that got tested, 10.0% did not receive their results. The treatment initiation rate was 99.1%. Analysis of treatment outcomes done at the provincial level showed that Matabeleland South Province had the lowest treatment success rate of 77.3% and high death rates were recorded in Matabeleland South (30.0%), Masvingo (27.3%), and Matabeleland North (26.1%) provinces. Overall, there were high percentages of not-evaluated treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION: Pre-diagnosis LTFU was high, and high death and loss to follow-up rates were prevalent in provinces with artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) activities. Unevaluated treatment outcomes were also prevalent and data quality remains a challenge within the national TB control program. We recommended strengthening patient follow-up at all levels within the TB care cascade, strengthening capacity-building for data analysis and use, further analysis to determine factors associated with undesirable outcomes and a study on why LTFU remains high.

Integrating 3HP-based tuberculosis preventive treatment into Zimbabwe's Fast Track HIV treatment model: experiences from a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) causes one-third of HIV-related deaths worldwide, making TB preventive treatment (TPT) a critical element of HIV programmes. Approximately 16% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretrovirals in Zimbabwe are enrolled in the Fast Track (FT) differentiated service delivery model, which includes multi-month dispensing of antiretrovirals and quarterly health facility (HF) visits. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing FT to deliver 3HP (3 months of once-weekly rifapentine and isoniazid) for TPT by aligning TPT and HIV visits, providing multi-month dispensing of 3HP, and using phone-based monitoring and adherence support. METHODS: We recruited a purposive sample of 50 PLHIV enrolled in FT at a high-volume HF in urban Zimbabwe. At enrolment, participants provided written informed consent, completed a baseline survey, and received counselling, education and a 3-month supply of 3HP. A study nurse mentor called participants at weeks 2, 4 and 8 to monitor and support adherence and side effects. When participants returned for their routine 3-month FT visit, they completed another survey, and study staff conducted a structured medical record review. In-depth interviews were conducted with providers who participated in the pilot. RESULTS: Participants were enrolled between April and June 2021 and followed through September 2021. Median age = 32 years (IQR 24,41), 50% female, median time in FT 1.8 years (IQR 0.8,2.7). Forty-eight participants (96%) completed 3HP in 13 weeks; one completed in 16 weeks, and one stopped due to jaundice. Most participants (94%) reported "always" or "almost always" taking 3HP correctly. All reported they were very satisfied with the counselling, education, support and quality of care they received from providers and FT service efficiency. Almost all (98%) said they would recommend it to other PLHIV. Challenges reported included pill burden (12%) and tolerability (24%), but none had difficulty with phone-based counselling or wished for additional HF-based visits. DISCUSSION: Using FT to deliver 3HP was feasible and acceptable. Some reported tolerability challenges but 98% completed 3HP, and all appreciated the efficiency of aligning TPT and HIV HF visits, multi-month dispensing and phone-based counselling. CONCLUSIONS: Scaling up this approach could expand TPT coverage in Zimbabwe.

Evidence to Action: Translating Innovations in Management of Child and Adolescent TB into Routine Practice in High-Burden Countries.

Child and adolescent tuberculosis (TB) has been long neglected by TB programs but there have been substantive strides in prioritizing TB among these populations in the past two decades. Yet, gaps remain in translating evidence and policy to action at the primary care level, ensuring access to novel tools and approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for children and adolescents at risk of TB disease. This article describes the progress that has been made and the gaps that remain in addressing TB among children and adolescents while also highlighting pragmatic approaches and the role of multisectoral partnerships in facilitating integration of innovations into routine program practice.

Coverage and effectiveness of conditional cash transfer for people with drug resistant tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: A mixed methods study.

The End TB strategy recommends social protection to mitigate socio-economic impacts of tuberculosis. Zimbabwe started implementing a conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme for people on drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) treatment in 2013. We aimed to determine the proportion of people receiving CCT and effectiveness of CCT in improving treatment outcomes, explore their experiences with registering for CCT and understand the impact of CCT from the perspective of beneficiaries. Data from 2014-2021 were extracted from TB registers and CCT payment records within the National TB Programme. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with people who were completing treatment or had completed treatment within two months. Poisson regression, adjusted for province, year of treatment, age and sex was used to investigate associations between receiving CCT and successful treatment outcomes among people who were in DR-TB care for ≥3 months after treatment initiation. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of 481 people were included in the quantitative study. Of these, 53% (254/481) received CCT at some point during treatment. People who exited DR-TB care within three months were 73% less likely to receive CCT than those who did not (prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.27 [95%CI: 0.18-0.41]). Among those who were alive and in care three months after treatment initiation, CCT recipients were 32% more likely to have successful outcomes than those who did not (adjusted PR = 1.32, [95%CI: 1.00-1.75]). Qualitative results revealed lack of knowledge about availability of CCT among people with DR-TB and missed opportunities by healthcare providers to provide information about availability of CCT. Delays and inconsistencies in disbursements of CCT were frequent themes. CCT were associated with successful treatment outcomes. Improvements in coverage, timeliness and predictability of disbursements are recommended.

Tuberculosis and Silicosis Burden in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners in a Large Occupational Health Outreach Programme in Zimbabwe.

Artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) labour under archaic working conditions and are exposed to high levels of silica dust. Exposure to silica dust has been associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis and silicosis. ASMs are highly mobile and operate in remote areas with near absent access to health services. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of tuberculosis, silicosis and silico-tuberculosis among ASMs in Zimbabwe. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 October to 31 January 2021 on a convenient sample of 514 self-selected ASMs. We report the results from among those ASMs who attended an outreach medical facility and an occupational health clinic. Data were collected from clinical records using a precoded data proforma. Data variables included demographic (age, sex), clinical details (HIV status, GeneXpert results, outcomes of chest radiographs, history of tuberculosis) and perceived exposure to mine dust. Of the 464 miners screened for silicosis, 52 (11.2%) were diagnosed with silicosis, while 17 (4.0%) of 422 ASMs were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). Of the 373 ASMs tested for HIV, 90 (23.5%) were sero-positive. An HIV infection was associated with a diagnosis of silicosis. There is need for a comprehensive occupational health service package, including TB and silicosis surveillance, for ASMs in Zimbabwe. These are preliminary and limited findings, needing confirmation by more comprehensive studies.

Predictors of mortality and treatment success of multi-drug resistant and Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: a retrospective cohort analysis of patients initiated on treatment during 2010 to 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Zimbabwe is one of the 30 countries globally with a high burden of multidrug-resistant TB or rifampicin-resistant TB. The World Health Organization recommended that patients diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB be treated with 20-24 month standardized second-line drugs since 2010. However, factors associated with mortality and treatment success have not been systematically evaluated in Zimbabwe. The Objective of the study was to assess factors associated with Mortality and treatment success among multidrug-resistant-TB patients registered and treated under the National Tuberculosis programme in Zimbabwe. METHODS: the study was conducted using secondary data routinely collected from the National tuberculosis (TB) programme. Categorical variables were summarised using frequencies and a generalized linear model with a log-link function and a Poisson distribution was used to assess factors associated with mortality and treatment success. The level of significance was set at P-Value < 0.05. RESULTS: patient antiretroviral therapy (ART) status was a significant associated factor of treatment success or failure (RRR = 3.92, p < 0.001). Patients who were not on ART had a high risk of death by 3.92 times compared to patients who were on ART. In the age groups 45 - 54 years (relative risk ratios (RRR) = 1.41, p = 0.048), the risk of death was increased by 1.41 times compared to other age groups. Patients aged 55 years and above (RRR = 1.55, p = 0.017), had a risk of dying increased by 1.55 times compared to other age groups. Diagnosis time duration of 8 - 30 days (RRR = 0.62, p = 0.022) was found to be protective, a shorter diagnosis time duration between 8 to 30 days reduced the risk of TB deaths by 0.62 times compared to longer periods. Missed TB doses of > 10% (RRR = 2.03, p < 0.001) increased the risk of MDR/RR-TB deaths by 2.03 times compared to missing TB doses of ≤ 10%. CONCLUSION: not being on ART when HIV positive was a major significant predictor of mortality. Improving ART uptake among those ART-naïve and strategies aimed at improving treatment adherence are important in improving treatment success rates.

The role of bacteriological monitoring using culture and drug susceptibility tests (CDST) on treatment outcomes among MDR/RR-TB patients on treatment: a cohort analysis of patients enrolled on treatment 2010-2015 in Zimbabwe.

INTRODUCTION: an estimated 25% of the world population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2017, new tuberculosis cases were estimated at 10 million, while 1.6 million tuberculosis related deaths were recorded, 25% residing in Africa. Treatment outcomes of multi drug resistant Tuberculosis patients in Zimbabwe has been well documented but the role of bacteriological monitoring on treatment outcomes has not been systematically evaluated. The objective of the study was to determine the role of bacteriological monitoring using culture and drug susceptibility tests on treatment outcomes among patients with multi drug resistant tuberculosis. METHODS: a retrospective, secondary data analysis was conducted using routinely collected data of patients with multi drug resistant TB in Zimbabwe. Frequencies were used to summarize categorical variables and a generalized linear model with a log-link function and a Poisson distribution was used to assess factors associated with unfavourable outcomes. The level of significance was set at P-Value<0.05. RESULTS: about the study collected data from 473 records of patients with an average age of 36.35 years. Forty-nine percent (49%) were male and 51% were female. Results showed that when a patient has baseline culture result missing, has no culture conversion result, regardless of having a follow up culture and drug susceptibility test result, the risk of developing unfavourable outcomes increase by 3.9 times compared to a patient who has received all the three (3) bacteriological monitoring tests. CONCLUSION: results highlights the need for consistent bacteriological monitoring of patients to avert unfavourable treatment outcomes.

Operational Research to Assess the Real-Time Impact of COVID-19 on TB and HIV Services: The Experience and Response from Health Facilities in Harare, Zimbabwe.

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there was concern that TB and HIV services in Zimbabwe would be severely affected. We set up real-time monthly surveillance of TB and HIV activities in 10 health facilities in Harare to capture trends in TB case detection, TB treatment outcomes and HIV testing and use these data to facilitate corrective action. Aggregate data were collected monthly during the COVID-19 period (March 2020-February 2021) using EpiCollect5 and compared with monthly data extracted for the pre-COVID-19 period (March 2019-February 2020). Monthly reports were sent to program directors. During the COVID-19 period, there was a decrease in persons with presumptive pulmonary TB (40.6%), in patients registered for TB treatment (33.7%) and in individuals tested for HIV (62.8%). The HIV testing decline improved in the second 6 months of the COVID-19 period. However, TB case finding deteriorated further, associated with expiry of diagnostic reagents. During the COVID-19 period, TB treatment success decreased from 80.9 to 69.3%, and referral of HIV-positive persons to antiretroviral therapy decreased from 95.7 to 91.7%. Declining trends in TB and HIV case detection and TB treatment outcomes were not fully redressed despite real-time monthly surveillance. More support is needed to transform this useful information into action.

Catastrophic costs among tuberculosis-affected households in Zimbabwe: A national health facility-based survey.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence and major drivers of catastrophic costs among TB-affected households in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We conducted a nationally representative health facility-based survey with random cluster sampling among consecutively enrolled drug-susceptible (DS-TB) and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients. Costs incurred and income lost due to TB illness were captured using an interviewer-administered standardised questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the risk factors for experiencing catastrophic costs. RESULTS: A total of 841 patients were enrolled and were weighted to 900 during data analysis. There were 500 (56%) males and 46 (6%) DR-TB patients. Thirty-five (72%) DR-TB patients were HIV co-infected. Overall, 80% (95% CI: 77-82) of TB patients and their households experienced catastrophic costs. The major cost driver pre-TB diagnosis was direct medical costs. Nutritional supplements were the major cost driver post-TB diagnosis, with a median cost of US$360 (IQR: 240-600). Post-TB median diagnosis costs were three times higher among DR-TB (US$1,659 [653-2,787]) than drug DS-TB-affected households (US$537 [204-1,134]). Income loss was five times higher among DR-TB than DS-TB patients. In multivariable analysis, household wealth was the only covariate that remained significantly associated with catastrophic costs: The poorest households had 16 times the odds of incurring catastrophic costs versus the wealthiest households (adjusted odds ratio [aOR: 15.7 95% CI: 7.5-33.1]). CONCLUSION: The majority of TB-affected households, especially those affected by DR-TB, experienced catastrophic costs. Since the major cost drivers fall outside the healthcare system, multi-sectoral approaches to TB control and linking TB patients to social protection may reduce catastrophic costs.

Isoniazid preventive therapy use among adult people living with HIV in Zimbabwe.

We assessed the prevalence of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) uptake and explored factors associated with IPT non-uptake among people living with HIV (PLHIV) using nationally representative data from the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (ZIMPHIA) 2015-2016. This was a cross-sectional study of 3418 PLHIV ZIMPHIA participants eligible for IPT, aged ≥15 years and in HIV care. Logistic regression modeling was performed to assess factors associated with self-reported IPT uptake. All analyses accounted for multistage survey design. IPT uptake among PLHIV was 12.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.4-14.1). After adjusting for sex, age, rural/urban residence, TB screening at the last clinic visit, and hazardous alcohol use, rural residence was the strongest factor associated with IPT non-uptake (adjusted OR (aOR): 2.39, 95% CI: 1.82-3.12). Isoniazid preventive therapy non-uptake having significant associations with no TB screening at the last HIV care (aOR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.54-2.78) and with hazardous alcohol use only in urban areas (aOR: 10.74, 95% CI: 3.60-32.0) might suggest suboptimal IPT eligibility screening regardless of residence, but more so in rural areas. Self-reported IPT use among PLHIV in Zimbabwe was low, 2 years after beginning national scale-up. This shows the importance of good TB screening procedures for successful IPT implementation.

Spatial patterns of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases in Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2018.

INTRODUCTION: Accurate mapping of spatial heterogeneity in tuberculosis (TB) cases is critical for achieving high impact control as well as guide resource allocation in most developing countries. The main aim of this study was to explore the spatial patterns of TB occurrence at district level in Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2018 using GIS and spatial statistics as a preamble to identifying areas with elevated risk for prioritisation of control and intervention measures. METHODS: In this study Getis-Ord Gi* statistics together with SaTscan were used to characterise TB hotspots and clusters in Zimbabwe at district level from 2015 to 2018. GIS software was used to map and visualise the results of cluster analysis. RESULTS: Results show that TB occurrence exhibits spatial heterogeneity across the country. The TB hotspots were detected in the central, western and southern part of the country. These areas are characterised by artisanal mining activities as well as high poverty levels. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Results of this study are useful to guide TB control programs and design effective strategies which are important in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development goals (UNSDGs).

Prevalence, risk factors and treatment outcomes of isoniazid resistant TB in Bulawayo city, Zimbabwe: A cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The isoniazid-resistant TB poses a threat to TB control efforts. Zimbabwe, one of the high TB burden countries, has not explored the burden of isoniazid resistant TB. Hence among all bacteriologically-confirmed TB patients diagnosed in Bulawayo City during March 2017 and December 2018, we aimed to assess the proportion with isoniazid resistant TB and associated factors. Also, we aimed to describe the TB treatment outcomes. METHODOLOGY: A cohort study involving routinely collected data by the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTBRL) in Bulawayo City and National TB programme of Zimbabwe. The percentage with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to express the proportion with isoniazid-resistant TB. The modified Poisson regression was used to assess the association of demographic and clinical characteristics with isoniazid mono-resistant TB. RESULTS: Of 2160 bacteriologically-confirmed TB patients, 1612 (74.6%) had their sputum received at the NTBRL and 743 (46.1%) had culture growth. Among those with culture growth, 34 (4.6%, 95% CI: 3.5-6.7) had isoniazid mono-resistant TB, 25 (3.3%, 95% CI: 2.2-4.9) had MDR-TB. Thus, 59 (7.9%, 95% CI: 6.1-10.1) had isoniazid-resistant TB. Children < 15 years had a higher prevalence of isoniazid mono-resistant TB (aPR= 3.93; 95% CI: 1.24-12.45). Among those with rifampicin sensitive TB, patients with isoniazid-sensitive TB had higher favourable treatment outcomes compared to those with isoniazid-resistant TB (86.3% versus 75.5%, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of isoniazid-resistant TB was low compared to neighbouring countries with high burden of TB-HIV. However, Zimbabwe should consider reviewing treatment guidelines for isoniazid mono-resistant TB due to the observed poor treatment outcomes.

Declining Trends in Childhood TB Notifications and Profile of Notified Patients in the City of Harare, Zimbabwe, from 2009 to 2018.

Globally, childhood tuberculosis (TB among those aged <15 years) is a neglected component of national TB programmes in high TB burden countries. Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa, is a high burden country for TB, TB-HIV, and drug-resistant TB. In this study, we assessed trends in annual childhood TB notifications in Harare (the capital of Zimbabwe) from 2009 to 2018 and the demographic, clinical profiles, and treatment outcomes of childhood TB patients notified from 2015-2017 by reviewing the national TB programme records and reports. Overall, there was a decline in the total number of TB patients (all ages) from 5,943 in 2009 to 2,831 in 2018. However, the number of childhood TB patients had declined exponentially 6-fold from 583 patients (117 per 100,000 children) in 2009 to 107 patients (18 per 100,000 children) in 2018. Of the 615 childhood TB patients notified between 2015 and 2017, 556 (89%) patient records were available. There were 53% males, 61% were aged <5 years, 92% were new TB patients, 85% had pulmonary TB, and 89% were treated for-drug sensitive TB, 3% for drug-resistant TB, and 40% were HIV positive (of whom 59% were on ART). Although 58% had successful treatment outcomes, the treatment outcomes of 40% were unknown (not recorded or not evaluated), indicating severe gaps in TB care. The disproportionate decline in childhood TB notifications could be due to the reduction in the TB burden among HIV positive individuals from the scale up of antiretroviral therapy and isoniazid preventive therapy. However, the country is experiencing economic challenges which could also contribute to the disproportionate decline in childhood TB notification and gaps in quality of care. There is an urgent need to understand the reasons for the declining trends and the gaps in care.

Treatment outcomes of multi drug resistant and rifampicin resistant Tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: A cohort analysis of patients initiated on treatment during 2010 to 2015.

BACKGROUND: Zimbabwe is one of the thirty countries globally with a high burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). Since 2010, patients diagnosed with MDR/RR-TB are being treated with 20-24 months of standardized second-line drugs (SLDs). The profile, management and factors associated with unfavourable treatment outcomes of MDR/RR TB have not been systematically evaluated in Zimbabwe. OBJECTIVE: To assess treatment outcomes and factors associated with unfavourable outcomes among MDR/RR-TB patients registered and treated under the National Tuberculosis Programme in all the district hospitals and urban healthcare facilities in Zimbabwe between January 2010 and December 2015. METHODS: A cohort study using routinely collected programme data. The 'death', 'loss to follow-up' (LTFU), 'failure' and 'not evaluated' were considered as "unfavourable outcome". A generalized linear model with a log-link and binomial distribution or a Poisson distribution with robust error variances were used to assess factors associated with "unfavourable outcome". The unadjusted and adjusted relative risks were calculated as a measure of association. A 𝑝value< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 473 patients in the study, the median age was 34 years [interquartile range, 29-42] and 230 (49%) were males. There were 352 (74%) patients co-infected with HIV, of whom 321 (91%) were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Severe adverse events (SAEs) were recorded in 118 (25%) patients; mostly hearing impairments (70%) and psychosis (11%). Overall, 184 (39%) patients had 'unfavourable' treatment outcomes [125 (26%) were deaths, 39 (8%) were lost to follow-up, 4 (<1%) were failures and 16 (3%) not evaluated]. Being co-infected with HIV but not on ART [adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 2.60; 95% CI: 1.33-5.09] was independently associated with unfavourable treatment outcomes. CONCLUSION: The high unfavourable treatment outcomes among MDR/RR-TB patients on standardized SLDs were coupled with a high occurrence of SAEs in this predominantly HIV co-infected cohort. Switching to individualized all oral shorter treatment regimens should be considered to limit SAEs and improve treatment outcomes. Improving the ART uptake and timeliness of ART initiation can reduce unfavourable outcomes.

Trend analysis of tuberculosis case notifications with scale-up of antiretroviral therapy and roll-out of isoniazid preventive therapy in Zimbabwe, 2000-2018.

OBJECTIVES: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) are known to have a tuberculosis (TB) protective effect at the individual level among people living with HIV (PLHIV). In Zimbabwe where TB is driven by HIV infection, we have assessed whether there is a population-level association between IPT and ART scale-up and annual TB case notification rates (CNRs) from 2000 to 2018. DESIGN: Ecological study using aggregate national data. SETTING: Annual aggregate national data on TB case notification rates (stratified by TB category and type of disease), numbers (and proportions) of PLHIV in ART care and of these, numbers (and proportions) ever commenced on IPT. RESULTS: ART coverage in the public sector increased from <1% (8400 PLHIV) in 2004 to ~88% (>1.1 million PLHIV patients) by December 2018, while IPT coverage among PLHIV in ART care increased from <1% (98 PLHIV) in 2012 to ~33% (373 917 PLHIV) by December 2018. These HIV-related interventions were associated with significant declines in TB CNRs: between the highest CNR prior to national roll-out of ART (in 2004) to the lowest recorded CNR after national IPT roll-out from 2012, these were (1) for all TB case (510 to 173 cases/100 000 population; 66% decline, p<0.001); (2) for those with new TB (501 to 159 cases/100 000 population; 68% decline, p<0.001) and (3) for those with new clinically diagnosed PTB (284 to 63 cases/100 000 population; 77.8% decline, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the population-level impact of the continued scale-up of ART among PLHIV and the national roll-out of IPT among those in ART care in reducing TB, particularly clinically diagnosed TB which is largely associated with HIV. There are further opportunities for continued mitigation of TB with increasing coverage of ART and in particular IPT which still has a low coverage.

Prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: A health facility-based cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of resistance to rifampicin alone; rifampicin and isoniazid, and second-line anti-TB drugs among sputum smear-positive tuberculosis patients in Zimbabwe. DESIGN: A health facility-based cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: In total, 1114 (87.6%) new and 158 (12.4%) retreatment TB patients were enrolled. MTB was confirmed by Xpert MTB/RIF among 1184 (93%) smear-positive sputum samples. There were 64 samples with Xpert MTB/RIF-determined rifampicin resistance. However, two were rifampicin susceptible on phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. The prevalence of RR-TB was [4.0% (95% CI, 2.9, 5.4%), n=42/1043) and 14.2% (95% CI, 8.9, 21.1%; n=20/141) among new and retreatment patients, respectively. The prevalence of MDR-TB was 2.0% (95% CI, 1.3, 3.1%) and 6.4% (95% CI, 2.4, 10.3%) among new and retreatment TB patients, respectively. Risk factors for RR-TB included prior TB treatment, self-reported HIV infection, travel outside Zimbabwe for ≥one month (univariate), and age <15 years. Having at least a secondary education was protective against RR-TB. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MDR-TB in Zimbabwe has remained stable since the 1994 subnational survey. However, the prevalence of rifampicin mono-resistance was double that of MDR-TB.

Access to second-line drug susceptibility testing results among patients with Rifampicin resistant tuberculosis after introduction of the Hain® Line Probe Assay in Southern provinces, Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the proportion of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) patients who accessed second-line drug susceptibility testing (SL-DST) results following introduction of the Hain technology in southern provinces, Zimbabwe. DESIGN: Cohort study using secondary data. RESULTS: Xpert MTB/RIF results were used to identify 133 RR-TB patients for this study. Their mean age (SD) was 37.9 (11.1) years, 83 (62%) were males and 106 (80%) were HIV-infected. There were 6 (5%) participants who had pre-treatment attrition. Of the 133 pulmonary TB (PTB) patients, 117 (80%) had additional sputum specimens collected; 96 (72%) specimens reached the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTBRL); 95 (71%) were processed; 68 (51%) had SL-DST results. Only 53 (40%) SL-DST results reached the peripheral facilities. Median time from specimen reception at the NTBRL to SL-DSTs was 40 days, interquartile range (IQR: 28-67). Median time from presumptive diagnosis of RR-TB by health care worker to SL-DST results was 50days (IQR: 39-80), and increased to 79days (IQR: 39-101) in facilities >250km from the NTBRL. The proportion with any fluoroquinolone resistance was 9 (13.2%). CONCLUSION: Although RR-TB patients with PTB were initiated timely on treatment, access to SL-DSTs by facilities needs improvement. Health inequities exist as remote areas are less likely to get SL-DST results in time.