Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Gambella Regional Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia: A Retrospective Study to Assess the Progress towards Millennium Development Goals for Tuberculosis (2006-2015)

Abstract

A retrospective study was carried out to evaluate the progress towards millennium development goals and to generate preliminary epidemiological information on tuberculosis (TB) in Gambella town hospital and its surroundings in Southwestern Ethiopia. The medical records of all TB patients registered from 2009 to 2014 were assessed retrospectively. A total of 2519 TB patients were registered for the last 6 years and treated in Gambella Regional Hospital. The sex proportion of male TB patients was 60.18 % (1516/2519). The mean and the standard deviation of age was 23.8±13.18. The age group between 15-44 years in both sexes was most frequently affected with both forms of TB (pulmonary tuberculosis and extra pulmonary tuberculosis), 1660 (65.9%) followed by 0-14 years of age 508 (20.2%). Of 2519 tuberculosis cases registered in the last 6 years, 637(25.3%) of them were extra pulmonary tuberculosis cases and the rest 1884 (74.79%) were pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Out of 2519 TB cases registered during the six years, 1516 (60.18%) were males, and higher tuberculosis cases were registered (χ2 =4.191; p=0.022). The annual trends of TB for both sexes were gradually declined in the last six years. In conclusion, the retrospective study showed that although there was reduction in the number of both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis cases in the study area, what should not be undermined is the importance of regular prognostic evaluation among tuberculosis cases. Hence, we re-emphasize that Tuberculosis Control Program should give attention to control of tuberculosis and HIV-TB co-infection in Gambella Region.