Tobacco Use Behaviors and Associated Factors among Newly Diagnosed Tuberculosis Patients in Benin and Burkina Faso.

The objective of this study was to assess tobacco use (TU) behaviors among newly diagnosed pulmonary TB (PTB) patients and identify associated factors in Benin and Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 randomly selected TB clinics. To ensure a representative study cohort, clinics were stratified during the sampling process. PTB patients were consecutively sampled in 20 of the clinics between 1 December 2021 and 30 September 2022. The study population comprised individuals aged 15 years and above who were newly diagnosed with PTB. Among the 1399 registered PTB patients, 564 (40.3%) reported a history of TU, including 392 (28.0%) current tobacco users and 172 ex-tobacco users. Cigarettes emerged as the predominant form of TU (86.2%), followed by smokeless tobacco (6.4%), and chicha smoking (2.6%). Factors independently associated with tobacco use were male gender (p < 0.001), being in Burkina Faso (p < 0.001), and an age of 25-59 years (p = 0.002). Our multicentric study reveals a substantial prevalence of tobacco use among TB patients, with cigarette smoking emerging as the predominant form. These findings underscore the imperative for implementing targeted cessation interventions within TB control programs. Special emphasis is warranted for male patients aged 25-59 years.

Programmatic Implementation of Contact Investigation in Eight African Countries.

The objective was to implement CI under national tuberculosis programmatic conditions and to advocate for its scaling up. Contact investigation was implemented in 150 Basic Management Units identified across eight countries. The target populations (children <5 years and persons living with HIV (PLHIV)) were evaluated during home and clinic visits using standardized tools, clinical examinations and, according to each country, additional tests. Contacts with active TB received TB treatment and those eligible received TB preventive therapy (TPT). Data were collected each quarter using standardized forms. Meetings were organized with partners to share preliminary results and advocate for scaling up. From October 2020 to December 2021, 9049 home visits were performed. The proportions of children <5 years and PLHIV who were screened and diagnosed with active TB were, respectively, 2.6% and 10.1%. Ninety-three percent of children <5 years and 98% of PLHIV living at home received TPT or TB treatment, respectively. The scale-up for contact investigation partially or at national level in 2022 was effective in six of the eight countries included in the project. These results indicate that CI is feasible under programmatic conditions within the National TB Programs of African countries.