Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis And Treatment In Kwazulu-natal, South Africa: A Long Distance Relationship

Collaborator: B Moore; Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta, United States of America

TB accounted for 14.3% of all deaths in South Africa in 2010. Mortality in MDR-TB patients who are HIV-positive is especially high and almost half of all MDR-TB cases in this country occur in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province. A retrospective cohort study involving a random selection of 6 600 patients was conducted to assess factors associated with treatment success. Final clinical outcome was determined two years after treatment initiation. Data were abstracted from the electronic drug resistance TB registry of the DoH for this cohort, as well as from medical files of the patients. The study found that proximity to an MDR-TB treatment facility was a significant factor in MDR-TB treatment success. High quality MDR-TB services should therefore be made available within geographically accessible distances in KZN.