Abstract
Background: The World Health Organization target is to reduce to zero the number of death due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the year 2035. The earlier TB treatment is commenced, the less chance of a TB associated death and the higher the chance of successful treatment outcomes. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate quarterly trends of TB treatment outcomes as Xpert MTB/Rif testing services rolled out in Manicaland for 2017 and 2018.The study gave an opportunity for the Zimbabwe National TB Program to generate some evidence showing implementation of the intervention, Xpert MTB/Rif diagnostic test. Method: In the retrospective study , a total of 3277 TB patient variables were captured from facility TB registers .The population was all TB patients recorded in the 304 health facilities as having received TB treatment between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018. The scope of the study did not include capturing the full range of variables that are determinants of TB treatment outcomes. Results: The study demonstrates that the proportion of TB treatment outcome of died had a steady decrease from quarter one of 2017, which had 30/238 (12.6%) to quarter two 2018 which had 41/431 (9.5%). Then quarter three of 2018 the outcome died had a slight increase to just slightly above 10.0% , before going back to just below 10.0% in quarter four of 2018. The proportion of cured for 2017 first quarter was 90/238(37.8%) and that for 2018 quarter four was 147/313 (47.0%). TB treatment outcome of treatment completed for 2017 quarter one was 91/238(38.2%) then for 2018 quarter one, it was 205/464(44.1%).There was no noticeable trend in the two TB treatment outcomes of cured and treatment completed during the eight evaluated quarters. Conclusion: Overall the TB treatment outcome of died showed a decreasing trend over the eight quarters. In order to avoid inferring the decrease to Xpert MTB/Rif roll out, more variables that are determinants of TB treatment outcomes have to be analysed in future studies.
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