ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BARRIERS FACED BY PATIENTS IN ACCESSING TREATMENT FOR DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS IN LAHORE
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Abstract
Background: Tuberculosis is a contagion further emerging drug resistance and its progression has endangered the enforcement of end tuberculosis strategy. Socio-economic barriers are also important especially in developing countries. The study aimed to determine the socio-demographic characteristics and difficulties in getting long and short-term treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Methods: This case control study was undertaken in tertiary care settings of Lahore, Pakistan during July 2020 to March 2022. After taking Informed Consent data was collected on pre-designed questionnaires. Demographic characteristics, histories, economic status and social issues to get medicine from health facility were noted.
Results: A total of 131 patients consisting of 71(54.2%) male and 60 (45.8%) female having an overall mean age as 35.08±15.25 and BMI 18.43±3.51 were included. Proportion of married patients was 62.6%, illiterate 35.9%, 33.6% had to travel >25 KM to reach hospital and 21.4% were severely underweight patients. Most of the patients were having poor economic status where only 53.2% had a facility of semi-furnished houses, only 50.4% had own vehicle to access health facilities and the same proportion of patients are living below the line of poverty. Only few patients showed lack of confidence on healthcare staff during acquisition of drugs.
Conclusion: Long travelling, low economic status, unavailability of personal vehicle are the major issues of drug resistant TB patients. Few patients reported average to poor attitude of the supporting staff. Around 10% of patients also shown their concerns about insufficient social support.
References
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Muhammad Kashif Munir
Senior Research Officer, Health Research Institute National Institute of Health, TB Research Centre King Edward Medical University, Lahore Pakistan
Muhammad Ayaz Mustufa
Principal Research Officer, Health Research Institute National Institutes of Health, Islamabad Pakistan
Asif Hanif
Assistant Professor, Department of TB and Chest Medicine King Edward Medical University, Lahore Pakistan
Sana Rehman
Research Officer, Health Research Institute National Institutes of Health, Islamabad Pakistan
Faiz Ahmad Raza
Principal Research Officer, Health Research Institute National Institute of Health, TB Research Centre King Edward Medical University, Lahore Pakistan
Abdul Wahab Gureja
Senior Registrar Pulmonology, Ali Fatima Hospital/Abu Umara Medical & Dental College, Lahore Pakistan