The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh
Despite the enormous disruption of tuberculosis (TB) services reported globally, Bangladesh’s impact is not well documented. We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the TB control program in Bangladesh from patients’ and service providers’ perspectives. We conducted a cross-section...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/7/11/385 |
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| author | Fariha Alam Mihika Md Abdullah Al Jubayer Biswas Md Maruf Haque Khan Syed Shariful Islam M. Atiqul Haque Sayera Banu Md Zakiul Hassan |
| author_facet | Fariha Alam Mihika Md Abdullah Al Jubayer Biswas Md Maruf Haque Khan Syed Shariful Islam M. Atiqul Haque Sayera Banu Md Zakiul Hassan |
| author_sort | Fariha Alam Mihika |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the enormous disruption of tuberculosis (TB) services reported globally, Bangladesh’s impact is not well documented. We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the TB control program in Bangladesh from patients’ and service providers’ perspectives. We conducted a cross-sectional study from November–December 2021 at six conveniently selected Upazila Health Complexes (UHC) of the Dhaka division, Bangladesh. We conducted face-to-face interviews among 180 pulmonary TB service recipients and all TB service providers working in the selected UHC. We also reviewed TB registries from each UHC. All data were summarized using descriptive statistics tools. We found a 31% reduction in presumptive TB cases during 2021 compared to 2020. Other TB services, such as testing, were reduced by 16–36% during the same period. Service receivers reported a lack of transportation (95%), and a lack of adequate human resources (89%) as critical barriers to receiving and providing TB service, respectively. The findings of our study showed substantial interruption of TB service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening the recent progress and pushback from achieving the 2035 End TB targets. Early mitigation of TB service delivery through adopting remote follow-ups using digital health technology and integrating COVID-19 and TB screening is essential for the continuity of essential TB services and achieving global TB targets. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:57:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b1cb6a63e01b4d8da16635e7b3479c73 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2414-6366 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:57:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| spelling | doaj.art-b1cb6a63e01b4d8da16635e7b3479c732023-11-24T10:15:54ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662022-11-0171138510.3390/tropicalmed7110385The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, BangladeshFariha Alam Mihika0Md Abdullah Al Jubayer Biswas1Md Maruf Haque Khan2Syed Shariful Islam3M. Atiqul Haque4Sayera Banu5Md Zakiul Hassan6Programme for Emerging Infections, Infectious Disease Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, BangladeshProgramme for Emerging Infections, Infectious Disease Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, BangladeshDepartment of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka 1000, BangladeshDepartment of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka 1000, BangladeshDepartment of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka 1000, BangladeshProgramme for Emerging Infections, Infectious Disease Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, BangladeshProgramme for Emerging Infections, Infectious Disease Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, BangladeshDespite the enormous disruption of tuberculosis (TB) services reported globally, Bangladesh’s impact is not well documented. We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the TB control program in Bangladesh from patients’ and service providers’ perspectives. We conducted a cross-sectional study from November–December 2021 at six conveniently selected Upazila Health Complexes (UHC) of the Dhaka division, Bangladesh. We conducted face-to-face interviews among 180 pulmonary TB service recipients and all TB service providers working in the selected UHC. We also reviewed TB registries from each UHC. All data were summarized using descriptive statistics tools. We found a 31% reduction in presumptive TB cases during 2021 compared to 2020. Other TB services, such as testing, were reduced by 16–36% during the same period. Service receivers reported a lack of transportation (95%), and a lack of adequate human resources (89%) as critical barriers to receiving and providing TB service, respectively. The findings of our study showed substantial interruption of TB service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening the recent progress and pushback from achieving the 2035 End TB targets. Early mitigation of TB service delivery through adopting remote follow-ups using digital health technology and integrating COVID-19 and TB screening is essential for the continuity of essential TB services and achieving global TB targets.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/7/11/385tuberculosis servicepresumptive tuberculosisCOVID-19BangladeshUpazila Health ComplexesNational Tuberculosis Control Program |
| spellingShingle | Fariha Alam Mihika Md Abdullah Al Jubayer Biswas Md Maruf Haque Khan Syed Shariful Islam M. Atiqul Haque Sayera Banu Md Zakiul Hassan The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease tuberculosis service presumptive tuberculosis COVID-19 Bangladesh Upazila Health Complexes National Tuberculosis Control Program |
| title | The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh |
| title_full | The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh |
| title_short | The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pulmonary Tuberculosis Control in the Selected Upazila Health Complexes of Dhaka Division, Bangladesh |
| title_sort | effect of the covid 19 pandemic on pulmonary tuberculosis control in the selected upazila health complexes of dhaka division bangladesh |
| topic | tuberculosis service presumptive tuberculosis COVID-19 Bangladesh Upazila Health Complexes National Tuberculosis Control Program |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/7/11/385 |
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