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. 2022 Sep 9;7(9):237.
doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed7090237.

Delays in TB Diagnosis and Treatment Initiation in Burkina Faso during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Adama Diallo  1 , Adjima Combary  1 , Vanessa Veronese  2 , Désiré Lucien Dahourou  3 , Salifou Ouédraogo  1 , Isidore Tiandiogo Traoré  4 , Corinne Simone Merle  2
Affiliations

Delays in TB Diagnosis and Treatment Initiation in Burkina Faso during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Adama Diallo et al. Trop Med Infect Dis. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted TB services, particularly in low resource settings. In Burkina Faso, a cross-sectional ‘before and after’ study was conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on access to TB services. Data was collected in two phases (Phase 1: December 2017−March 2018, and 2: October−December 2020) to estimate and compare various patient and system delays among TB patients before and during COVID-19 and explore changes in treatment seeking behaviors and practices. 331 TB patients were recruited across the two phases. A significant increase in median time between first symptom and contact with TB service (45 days vs. 26 days; p < 0.01) and decrease in median time between first contact and diagnosis, and treatment initiation, respectively, during COVID-19 compared to before. Fewer patients reported using public health centers and more patients reporting using private facilities as the point of first contact following TB symptom onset during the COVID-19 period compared to before. These findings suggest that COVID-19 has created barriers to TB service access and health seeking among symptomatic individuals, yet also led to some efficiencies in TB diagnostic and treatment services. Our findings can be help target efforts along specific points of the TB patient pathway to minimize the overall disruption of COVID-19 and future public health emergencies on TB control in Burkina Faso.

Keywords: Burkina Faso; COVID-19; treatment delays; tuberculosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

C.S.M. and V.V. are staff members of the World Health Organization; the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the WHO.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Therapeutic itinerary of patients Before and During COVID-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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