Creating an effective routine surveillance system for drug-resistant tuberculosis among previously treated patients in Tanzania

Creating an Effective Routine Surveillance System for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Among Previously Treated Patients in Tanzania. Introduction: Tuberculosis routine surveillance is an essential tool for scrutinising the effectiveness of TB Programmes and especially for monitoring drug resistance. This study sought to understand the effectiveness of the existing Routine Surveillance System for drug-resistant Tuberculosis amongst previously treated TB patients in Tanzania, identify weaknesses and interventions leading to improvements, and then pilot these interventions. Methods: Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather the current Routine Surveillance System information among previously treated tuberculosis patients. Quantitative data were collected from the routine laboratory databases over a three-year period (2011-2013). Qualitative data were collected using key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Based on the results, an intervention to improve the Routine Surveillance System was designed and a pilot study was implemented in the Mwanza region. The intervention considered the implementation of rapid molecular techniques such as Xpert MTB/RIF and Line Probe Assay at the Central ... (continues)