Trends and Determinants of Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome of Patients on Directly Observed Treatment in a University Teaching Hospital, SouthSouth, Nigeria: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) a leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, continues to constitute a serious public health challenge in both developed and developing countries. Despite the implementation of the DOTS plan and the subsequent adoption of the End TB strategy, Nigeria continues to fall short of WHO targets especially TB treatment success rate (TSR). Aim: This study aimed at identifying the trend of TB treatment outcomes and its determinants among patients on TB treatment at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course (UPTH DOTS) Clinic. Materials and Method: It was a cross sectional study. Data was collected retrospectively. Information was obtained from the medical records and TB registers at the facility's DOTS clinic covering a five-year period (2016-2020). All patients that were registered in the program whether transferred out or retained were included. The data was retrieved and analysed as needed. Results: The cumulative results revealed that majority of the subjects were mainly new patients (93.0%), Pulmonary TB (85.2%), and HIV negative patients (65.1%), while the result of the treatment success rate was 61. 1% (35.5% cured and 25.6% completed treatment), with treatment failure (0.7%), Lost To Follow Up (LTFU) (16.1%), death (13.4%), transfer out (5.0%), and 3.9% not assessed. However, younger age, being female, employed, having tuberculosis of the lungs (PTB) and being HIV negative were identified as contributors to good treatment outcomes.