DEFAULTERS OF TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT AMONG MULTIDRUG- RESISTANCE (MDR-TB) PATIENTS AT LAZARETTO FORLANINI HOSPITAL IN MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health issue, and it's one of the oldest diseases known to affect humans, which remains one of the highest leading of mortality worldwide. The primary purpose of this study is to identify the factors that cause non- adherence to TB treatment (defaulters) among TB patients at Lazaretto Forlanini Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. A descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted among patients who had not adhered to their medication at TBMUs Lazaretto Forlanini Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, from March to May 2019. The defaulters were a total of 103 respondents during the study period. This study sheds light on the defaulters of tuberculosis treatment among TB patients, and it shows that 79.6% of the male population are among those who fail to complete the TB course of treatment. Women, at 20.4%, had a much lower percentage of defaulting TB treatment than men. In terms of education, those who have never attended school and those at the secondary school are least likely to default on the medication, with 12.6% each, followed by those at the postgraduate level at 16.5%, and 19.4% by those at the university level. The study concluded and recommended that there is an urgent need for continuous and effective health education for the patients and their families, in addition to social support when starting the medications, to ensure adherence and compliance with the anti-tuberculosis drug, as well as regular monitoring, counselling, follow-up with the patients, easy access to health care centres, and access to the TB drugs. <strong>Keywords:</strong> Tuberculosis, Adherence, Tuberculosis Treatment, Non-adherence, Defaulters