Rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis patients in Myanmar in 2016: how many are lost on the path to treatment?

SETTING: Regional tuberculosis (TB) centres of the Yangon and Mandalay Regions of Myanmar, which account for 65% of all notified rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) cases countrywide. OBJECTIVE: To determine 1) initial loss to follow-up (LTFU), 2) treatment delay, and 3) factors associated with initial LTFU and treatment delay among RR-TB patients residing in the Yangon and Mandalay regions diagnosed using Xpert® during January-August 2016. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. Each diagnosed patient was tracked in the drug-resistant TB treatment registers of the Yangon and Mandalay regional treatment centres for January-December 2016 using patient name, age, sex, township and date of diagnosis. If the diagnosed patient was not found in the treatment register by 31 December 2016, he/she was considered 'initial LTFU'. RESULTS: Of the 1037 RR-TB patients diagnosed, 310 (30%) experienced initial LTFU, which was significantly higher among patients aged 55 years and among those diagnosed in the Mandalay Region. A treatment delay of >1 month was observed in 440 (70%) patients (median delay 41 days). Delay was uniformly high across patient subgroups, and was not associated with any factor. CONCLUSION: Initial LTFU and treatment delays among RR-TB patients were high. Future studies using qualitative research methods are needed to ascertain the reasons for this observation.

Cost-effectiveness of a new strategy to detect pulmonary tuberculosis in household contacts in Myanmar.

SETTING: Guidelines regarding household contact tracing for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in different countries vary according to case detection methods. OBJECTIVE: To compare costs spent on detecting one TB case among household contacts between different contact tracing strategies in Mandalay City, Myanmar. METHODS: Cost estimation of case detection and diagnostic procedures using two different strategies were calculated. A modified conventional model included screening for TB signs and symptoms, sputum examination for those with positive signs and symptoms and chest X-ray (CXR) for those with negative sputum results. An interventional model included CXR, sputum examination if CXR was abnormal and Xpert® MTB/RIF assay for those with negative sputum results. Estimated costs in each model were stratified by age <15 and 15 years. RESULTS: The additional cost per TB case detected using the interventional model was US$35.41 compared to the modified conventional model. The probability that the interventional model was cost-effective using a threshold of US$100 per case detected was 81% (83% for those aged 15 years and 65% for those aged <15 years). CONCLUSIONS: The interventional model was more cost-effective in detecting one more pulmonary TB case among household contacts than the modified conventional model.