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Otshudiema JO, Folefack GLT, Nsio JM, Kakema CH, Minikulu L, Bafuana A, Kosianza JB, Mfumu AK, Nkwembe E, Munyeku-Bazitama Y, Makiala-Mandanda S, Guinko N, Mbuyi G, Tshilumbu JMK, Saidi GN, Umba-di-Masiala MS, Ebondo AK, Mutonj JJ, Kalombo S, Kabeya J, Mawanda TK, Bile FN, Kasereka GK, Mbala-Kingebeni P, Ahuka-Mundeke S, Karamagi HC, Fai KN, Djiguimde AP. Community-based COVID-19 active case finding and rapid response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Improving case detection and response. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278251. [PMID: 37200322 PMCID: PMC10194859 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
A community-based coronavirus disease (COVID-19) active case-finding strategy using an antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) was implemented in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to enhance COVID-19 case detection. With this pilot community-based active case finding and response program that was designed as a clinical, prospective testing performance, and implementation study, we aimed to identify insights to improve community diagnosis and rapid response to COVID-19. This pilot study was modeled on the DRC's National COVID-19 Response Plan and the COVID-19 Ag-RDT screening algorithm defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), with case findings implemented in 259 health areas, 39 health zones, and 9 provinces. In each health area, a 7-member interdisciplinary field team tested the close contacts (ring strategy) and applied preventive and control measures to each confirmed case. The COVID-19 testing capacity increased from 0.3 tests per 10,000 inhabitants per week in the first wave to 0.4, 1.6, and 2.2 in the second, third, and fourth waves, respectively. From January to November 2021, this capacity increase contributed to an average of 10.5% of COVID-19 tests in the DRC, with 7,110 positive Ag-RDT results for 40,226 suspected cases and close contacts who were tested (53.6% female, median age: 37 years [interquartile range: 26.0-50.0)]. Overall, 79.7% (n = 32,071) of the participants were symptomatic and 7.6% (n = 3,073) had comorbidities. The Ag-RDT sensitivity and specificity were 55.5% and 99.0%, respectively, based on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, and there was substantial agreement between the tests (k = 0.63). Despite its limited sensitivity, the Ag-RDT has improved COVID-19 testing capacity, enabling earlier detection, isolation, and treatment of COVID-19 cases. Our findings support the community testing of suspected cases and asymptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases to reduce disease spread and virus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Justus M. Nsio
- COVID-19 Response, Ministry of Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Cathy H. Kakema
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Luigino Minikulu
- COVID-19 Response, Ministry of Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Aimé Bafuana
- COVID-19 Response, Ministry of Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Joel B. Kosianza
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Antoine K. Mfumu
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Edith Nkwembe
- COVID-19 Laboratory and Epidemiology Team, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Yannick Munyeku-Bazitama
- COVID-19 Laboratory and Epidemiology Team, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Sheila Makiala-Mandanda
- COVID-19 Laboratory and Epidemiology Team, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Noé Guinko
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Gisèle Mbuyi
- COVID-19 Response, Ministry of Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Guy N. Saidi
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Amos K. Ebondo
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean-Jacques Mutonj
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Serge Kalombo
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Jad Kabeya
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Taty K. Mawanda
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Faustin N. Bile
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Gaby K. Kasereka
- COVID-19 Response, World Health Organization, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Placide Mbala-Kingebeni
- COVID-19 Laboratory and Epidemiology Team, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Steve Ahuka-Mundeke
- COVID-19 Laboratory and Epidemiology Team, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Humphrey Cyprian Karamagi
- Data Analytics and Knowledge Management, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo
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Chen JO, Qiu YB, Rueda ZV, Hou JL, Lu KY, Chen LP, Su WW, Huang L, Zhao F, Li T, Xu L. Role of community-based active case finding in screening tuberculosis in Yunnan province of China. Infect Dis Poverty 2019; 8:92. [PMID: 31661031 PMCID: PMC6819334 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-019-0602-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The barriers to access diagnosis and receive treatment, in addition to insufficient case identification and reporting, lead to tuberculosis (TB) spreads in communities, especially among hard-to-reach populations. This study evaluated a community-based active case finding (ACF) strategy for the detection of tuberculosis cases among high-risk groups and general population in China between 2013 and 2015. Methods This retrospective cohort study conducted an ACF in ten communities of Dongchuan County, located in northeast Yunnan Province between 2013 and 2015; and compared to 136 communities that had passive case finding (PCF). The algorithm for ACF was: 1) screen for TB symptoms among community enrolled residents by home visits, 2) those with positive symptoms along with defined high-risk groups underwent chest X-ray (CXR), followed by sputum microscopy confirmation. TB incidence proportion and the number needed to screen (NNS) to detect one case were calculated to evaluate the ACF strategy compared to PCF, chi-square test was applied to compare the incidence proportion of TB cases’ demography and the characteristics for detected cases under different strategies. Thereafter, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and multiple Fisher’s exact test were applied to compare the incidence proportion between general population and high-risk groups. Patient and diagnostic delays for ACF and PCF were compared by Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results A total of 97 521 enrolled residents were visited with the ACF cumulatively, 12.3% were defined as high-risk groups or had TB symptoms. Sixty-six new TB patients were detected by ACF. There was no significant difference between the cumulative TB incidence proportion for ACF (67.7/100000 population) and the prevalence for PCF (62.6/100000 population) during 2013 to 2015, though the incidence proportion in ACF communities decreased after three rounds active screening, concurrent with the remained stable prevalence in PCF communities. The cumulative NNS were 34, 39 and 29 in HIV/AIDS infected individuals, people with positive TB symptoms and history of previous TB, respectively, compared to 1478 in the general population. The median patient delay under ACF was 1 day (Interquartile range, IQR: 0–27) compared to PCF with 30 days (IQR: 14–61). Conclusions This study confirmed that massive ACF was not effective in general population in a moderate TB prevalence setting. The priority should be the definition and targeting of high-risk groups in the community before the screening process is launched. The shorter time interval of ACF between TB symptoms onset and linkage to healthcare service may decrease the risk of TB community transmission. Furthermore, integrated ACF strategy in the National Project of Basic Public Health Service may have long term public health impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ou Chen
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Yu-Bing Qiu
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | | | - Jing-Long Hou
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Kun-Yun Lu
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Liu-Ping Chen
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Wei-Wei Su
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Li Huang
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China
| | - Fei Zhao
- Clinical trail and research center of Beijing hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Li
- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Division of tuberculosis control and prevention, Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China.
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Mhimbira FA, Cuevas LE, Dacombe R, Mkopi A, Sinclair D. Interventions to increase tuberculosis case detection at primary healthcare or community-level services. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 11:CD011432. [PMID: 29182800 PMCID: PMC5721626 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd011432.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pulmonary tuberculosis is usually diagnosed when symptomatic individuals seek care at healthcare facilities, and healthcare workers have a minimal role in promoting the health-seeking behaviour. However, some policy specialists believe the healthcare system could be more active in tuberculosis diagnosis to increase tuberculosis case detection. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies to increase tuberculosis case detection through improving access (geographical, financial, educational) to tuberculosis diagnosis at primary healthcare or community-level services. SEARCH METHODS We searched the following databases for relevant studies up to 19 December 2016: the Cochrane Infectious Disease Group Specialized Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), published in the Cochrane Library, Issue 12, 2016; MEDLINE; Embase; Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index; BIOSIS Previews; and Scopus. We also searched the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP), ClinicalTrials.gov, and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) for ongoing trials. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized and non-randomized controlled studies comparing any intervention that aims to improve access to a tuberculosis diagnosis, with no intervention or an alternative intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently assessed trials for eligibility and risk of bias, and extracted data. We compared interventions using risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS We included nine cluster-randomized trials, one individual randomized trial, and seven non-randomized controlled studies. Nine studies were conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), six in Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, and Pakistan), and two in South America (Brazil and Colombia); which are all high tuberculosis prevalence areas.Tuberculosis outreach screening, using house-to-house visits, sometimes combined with printed information about going to clinic, may increase tuberculosis case detection (RR 1.24, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.79; 4 trials, 6,458,591 participants in 297 clusters, low-certainty evidence); and probably increases case detection in areas with tuberculosis prevalence of 5% or more (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.09; 3 trials, 155,918 participants, moderate-certainty evidence; prespecified stratified analysis). These interventions may lower the early default (prior to starting treatment) or default during treatment (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.96; 3 trials, 849 participants, low-certainty evidence). However, this intervention may have may have little or no effect on treatment success (RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.15; 3 trials, 849 participants, low-certainty evidence), and we do not know if there is an effect on treatment failure or mortality. One study investigated long-term prevalence in the community, but with no clear effect due to imprecision and differences in care between the two groups (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.65 to 2.00; 1 trial, 556,836 participants, very low-certainty evidence).Four studies examined health promotion activities to encourage people to attend for screening, including mass media strategies and more locally organized activities. There was some increase, but this could have been related to temporal trends, with no corresponding increase in case notifications, and no evidence of an effect on long-term tuberculosis prevalence. Two studies examined the effects of two to six nurse practitioner educational sessions in tuberculosis diagnosis, with no clear effect on tuberculosis cases detected. One trial compared mobile clinics every five days with house-to-house screening every six months, and showed an increase in tuberculosis cases.There was also insufficient evidence to determine if sustained improvements in case detection impact on long-term tuberculosis prevalence; this was evaluated in one study, which indicated little or no effect after four years of either contact tracing, extensive health promotion activities, or both (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.75 to 2.30; 1 study, 405,788 participants in 12 clusters, very low-certainty evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS The available evidence demonstrates that when used in appropriate settings, active case-finding approaches may result in increase in tuberculosis case detection in the short term. The effect of active case finding on treatment outcome needs to be further evaluated in sufficiently powered studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis A Mhimbira
- Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)Bagamoyo Research and Training Center (BRTC)PO Box 74BagamoyoTanzania
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteBaselSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Luis E. Cuevas
- Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Clinical SciencesPembroke PlaceLiverpoolUKL3 5QA
| | - Russell Dacombe
- Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineDepartment of International Public HealthPembroke PlaceLiverpoolUKL3 5QA
| | - Abdallah Mkopi
- Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)Impact Evaluation, Health Systems Interventions & Policy TranslationPO Box 78373Dar es SalaamTanzania
| | - David Sinclair
- Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Clinical SciencesPembroke PlaceLiverpoolUKL3 5QA
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Zhang H, Xin H, Li X, Li H, Li M, Lu W, Bai L, Wang X, Liu J, Jin Q, Gao L. A dose-response relationship of smoking with tuberculosis infection: A cross-sectional study among 21008 rural residents in China. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175183. [PMID: 28384350 PMCID: PMC5383252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives China has high burden on both of tuberculosis (TB) and tobacco use. This study aims to explore the potential link between smoking and TB infection using baseline survey data of a large-scale population-based prospective study in rural China Methods Between July 1 and Sept 30, 2013, based on the baseline survey of a population-based, prospective study in rural China, the relationship between smoking and TB infection, assessed by interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA), was investigated among the total study population and only among those smokers, respectively. Results A total of 21,008 eligible rural registered residents (≥ 5 years old) from 4 rural sites were included in the analysis. Ever-smokers were more likely to be QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) positive than never smokers with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–1.49). Among ever smokers, a significant linear dose–response relation was observed between duration of smoking (by years) and QFT positivity (p < 0.001). Stratified analysis suggested that such an association was not influenced by gender and age. Evidence for interaction of smoking status with age was found. Conclusions Our results provide further evidence to support smoking might increase host susceptibility to TB infection. Populations under high risk of infection, such as elderly smokers, should be prior to TB infection controlling under a premise of community level intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhang
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Henan Xin
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangwei Li
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hengjing Li
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mufei Li
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Jiangsu Provincial Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Liqiong Bai
- Hunan Provincial Institute of Tuberculosis Prevention and Control, Changsha, China
| | - Xinhua Wang
- Gansu Provincial Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianmin Liu
- The Sixth People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qi Jin
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Gao
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Centre for Tuberculosis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Hutchison C, Khan MS, Yoong J, Lin X, Coker RJ. Financial barriers and coping strategies: a qualitative study of accessing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and tuberculosis care in Yunnan, China. BMC Public Health 2017; 17:221. [PMID: 28222724 PMCID: PMC5320743 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4089-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) pose serious challenges to global health, particularly in China, which has the second highest case burden in the world. Disparities in access to care for the poorest, rural TB patients may be exacerbated for MDR-TB patients, although this has not been investigated widely. We examine whether certain patient groups experience different barriers to accessing TB services, whether there are added challenges for patients with MDR-TB, and how patients and health providers cope in Yunnan, a mountainous province in China with a largely rural population and high TB burden. METHODS Using a qualitative study design, we conducted five focus group discussions and 47 in-depth interviews with purposively sampled TB and MDR-TB patients and healthcare providers in Mandarin, between August 2014 and May 2015. Field-notes and interview transcripts were analysed via a combination of open and thematic coding. RESULTS Patients and healthcare providers consistently cited financial constraints as the most common barriers to accessing care. Rural residents, farmers and ethnic minorities were the most vulnerable to these barriers, and patients with MDR-TB reported a higher financial burden owing to the centralisation and longer duration of treatment. Support in the form of free or subsidised treatment and medical insurance, was deemed essential but inadequate for alleviating financial barriers to patients. Most patients coped by selling their assets or borrowing money from family members, which often strained relationships. Notably, some healthcare providers themselves reported making financial and other contributions to assist patients, but recognised these practices as unsustainable. CONCLUSIONS Financial constraints were identified by TB and MDR-TB patients and health care professionals as the most pervasive barrier to care. Barriers appeared to be magnified for ethnic minorities and patients coming from rural areas, especially those with MDR-TB. To reduce financial barriers and improve treatment outcomes, there is a need for further research into the total costs of seeking and accessing TB and MDR-TB care. This will enable better assessment and targeting of appropriate financial support for identified vulnerable groups and geographic development of relevant services.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Hutchison
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - M S Khan
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - J Yoong
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - X Lin
- Yunnan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, China.
| | - R J Coker
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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