Costs of TB services in India (No 1)

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of economic analysis required to support increased investment in TB in India. This study estimates the costs of TB services from a health systems´ perspective to facilitate the efficient allocation of resources by India´s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.METHODS: Data were collected from a multi-stage, stratified random sample of 20 facilities delivering TB services in two purposively selected states in India as per Global Health Cost Consortium standards and using Value TB Data Collection Tool. Unit costs were estimated using the top-down (TD) and bottom-up (BU) methodology and are reported in 2018 US dollars.RESULTS: Cost of delivering 50 types of TB services and four interventions varied according to costing method. Key services included sputum smear microscopy, Xpert® MTB/RIF and X-ray with an average BU costs of respectively US$2.45, US$17.36 and US$2.85. Average BU cost for bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination, passive case-finding, TB prevention in children under 5 years using isoniazid and first-line drug treatment in new pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB cases was respectively US$0.76, US$1.62, US$2.41, US$103 and US$98.CONCLUSION: The unit cost of TB services and outputs are now available to support investment decisions, as diagnosis algorithms are reviewed and prevention or treatment for TB are expanded or updated in India.

Download Full-text

Estimating TB diagnostic costs incurred under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme: a costing study from Tamil Nadu, South India

International Health ◽

10.1093/inthealth/ihaa105 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Malaisamy Muniyandi ◽

Jayabal Lavanya ◽

Nagarajan Karikalan ◽

Balakrishnan Saravanan ◽

Sellappan Senthil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tamil Nadu ◽

South India ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

X Ray ◽

Unit Costs ◽

National Tuberculosis ◽

Costing Study ◽

Elimination Programme

Abstract Background The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) of India is aiming to eliminate TB by 2025. The programme has increased its services and resources to strengthen the accurate and early detection of TB. It is important to estimate the cost of TB diagnosis in India considering the advancement and implementation of new diagnostic tools under the NTEP. The objective of this study was to estimate the unit costs of providing TB diagnostic services at different levels of public health facilities with different algorithms implemented under the NTEP in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India. Methods This costing study was conducted from the perspective of the health system. This study used only secondary data and information that were available in the public domain. Data were collected with the approval of health authorities. The patient's diagnostic path from the point of registration until the final diagnosis was considered in the costing exercise. The unit costs of different diagnostic tools used in the NTEP implemented by Chennai Corporation were calculated. Results We estimated the unit cost of the eight laboratory tests (Ziehl–Neelsen [ZN], fluorescence microscopy [FM], x-ray, digital x-ray, gene Xpert MTB/RIF (cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test [NAAT] that identifies rifampicin resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis) Mycobacterium Tuberculosis/Rifampicin [MTB/RIF], mycobacteria growth indicator tube [MGIT], line probe assay [LPA] and Lowenstein Jensen [LJ] culture) for diagnosis of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB. The unit costs included fixed and variable costs for smear examination by ZN microscopy (₹ [Indian Rupee] 326 [US${\$}$4.72], FM (₹104 [US${\$}$1.5]), x-ray (₹218 [US${\$}$3.15]), digital X-ray (₹281 [US${\$}$4.07]), gene Xpert MTB/RIF (₹1137 [US${\$}$16.47]), MGIT (₹7038 [US${\$}$102]), LPA (₹6448 [US${\$}$93.44]) and LJ culture (₹4850 [US${\$}$70.28]). Out of 10 diagnostic algorithms used for TB diagnosis, algorithms using only smear microscopy had the lowest cost, followed by smear microscopy with x-ray for drug-sensitive TB (₹104 [US${\$}$1.5] to ₹544 [US${\$}$7.88]). Diagnostic algorithms for drug-resistant TB involving LPA and gene Xpert MTB/RIF were the most expensive. Conclusions Understanding the various costs contributing to TB diagnosis in India provides crucial evidence for policymakers, programme managers and researchers to optimise programme spending and efficiently use resources.

Download Full-text

Compliance of St Joseph’s Hospital Roma, Lesotho with the National Tuberculosis Programme of Lesotho, 2007 and 2008

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine ◽

10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.586 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Oladoyinbo O. Samuel ◽

Pierre J.T. De Villiers

Keyword(s):

Treatment Failure ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Sputum Smear Microscopy ◽

X Ray ◽

National Tuberculosis Programme ◽

National Tuberculosis ◽

Tuberculosis Programme ◽

Chest X Ray ◽

Smear Negative

Background: In 2009 Lesotho had an estimated TB prevalence of 696 cases/100 000 population − the 4th highest in the world. This epidemic was characterised by high rates of death, treatment failure and unknown treatment outcomes. These adverse outcomes were attributable to a high rate of TB and/or HIV co-infection and weaknesses in the implementation of Lesotho’s National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP). This study was conducted in St Joseph’s Hospital, Roma (SJHR) to assess the implementation of the NTP.Method: Records of 993 patients entered into the SJHR TB register between 2007 and 2008 were reviewed. Patients’ treatment details were extracted from the register, validated and analysed by STATA 10.0.Results: Of 993 patients registered: 88% were new patients, 37% were diagnosed on sputum smear microscopy alone, 35% were diagnosed on sputum smear microscopy with chest X-ray, whilst 25% were diagnosed on chest X-ray alone. In addition: 33% were sputum smear positive, 45% were sputum smear negative, and 22% had extra-pulmonary TB. As to treatment outcome: 26% were cured, 51% completed treatment, and 51% converted from sputum smear positive to sputum smear negative over six months, whilst 16% died. Regarding HIV, 77% of patients were tested for HIV and 59% had TB and/or HIV co-infection. Of ten NTP targets only the defaulter and treatment failure rate targets were met.Conclusion: Whilst only two out of ten NTP targets were met at SJHR in 2007–2008, improvements in TB case management were noted in 2008 which were probably due to the positive effects of audit on staff performance.

Download Full-text

A Comparison Of Three Versus Two Sputum Smear Microscopy In A Government Medical College, Patiala, India

SAARC Journal of Tuberculosis Lung Diseases and HIV/AIDS ◽

10.3126/saarctb.v8i2.5898 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 28-30

Author(s):

J Kishan ◽

P Kaur ◽

A Mahajan ◽

M Monika ◽

K Navneet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽

Sputum Sample ◽

Work Load ◽

Early Morning ◽

Control Programme ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Medical College ◽

Two Samples ◽

National Tuberculosis

Introduction: Under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme of India, three sputum samples are examined and 2 samples positivity criteria are used for labeling the patient as sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Recent studies advocate use of two samples (one spot & one morning) for diagnosis of Tuberculosis. The objective was to compare three versus two sputum smears and to study the relevance of third sputum sample for microscopy in the current practice under Revised National Tuberculosis and Control Programme. Methodology: A study of the laboratory register of the designated microscopic centre for the calendar year 2008 was undertaken. In all 9028 suspects were examined. An analysis of contribution of various sputum samples, S1 (fi rst spot sample), M (early morning) & S2 (second spot) towards diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis was undertaken. Results: Sputum smear examination results of all the patients examined during 2008 were analyzed. Twelve hundred and eighty eight patients (99.3%) were labeled as smear positive tuberculosis when three sputum samples positivity criteria was considered. By applying two samples and any smear positivity criteria 1296 (99.9%) patients were labeled as sputum smear positive. Among 1296 smears, S1 was positive in 1088 (83.8%) and M in 1293 (99.6%) patients. Early morning sample positivity yield was found higher. Conclusion: Considering 2 samples for examination with at least one morning specimen and one sample positivity criteria, the work load on laboratory can be reduced by 1/3rd without affecting case detection rate. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/saarctb.v8i2.5898 SAARCTB 2011; 8(2): 28-30

Download Full-text

Active Case Finding for Tuberculosis in India: A Syntheses of Activities and Outcomes Reported by the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.3390/tropicalmed6040206 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 206

Author(s):

Sharath Burugina Nagaraja ◽

Pruthu Thekkur ◽

Srinath Satyanarayana ◽

Prathap Tharyan ◽

Karuna D. Sagili ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Yield ◽

Case Finding ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

X Rays ◽

National Data ◽

Community Based ◽

Implementation Challenges ◽

Number Needed To Screen ◽

National Tuberculosis ◽

Elimination Programme

India launched a national community-based active TB case finding (ACF) campaign in 2017 as part of the strategic plan of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP). This review evaluated the outcomes for the components of the ACF campaign against the NTEP’s minimum indicators and elicited the challenges faced in implementation. We supplemented data from completed pretested data proformas returned by ACF programme managers from nine states and two union territories (for 2017–2019) and five implementing partner agencies (2013–2020), with summary national data on the state-wise ACF outcomes for 2018–2020 published in annual reports by the NTEP. The data revealed variations in the strategies used to map and screen vulnerable populations and the diagnostic algorithms used across the states and union territories. National data were unavailable to assess whether the NTEP indicators for the minimum proportions identified with presumptive TB among those screened (5%), those with presumptive TB undergoing diagnostic tests (>95%), the minimum sputum smear positivity rate (2% to 3%), those with negative sputum smears tested with chest X-rays or CBNAAT (>95%) and those diagnosed through ACF initiated on anti-TB treatment (>95%) were fulfilled. Only 30% (10/33) of the states in 2018, 23% (7/31) in 2019 and 21% (7/34) in 2020 met the NTEP expectation that 5% of those tested through ACF would be diagnosed with TB (all forms). The number needed to screen to diagnose one person with TB (NNS) was not included among the NTEP’s programme indicators. This rough indicator of the efficiency of ACF varied considerably across the states and union territories. The median NNS in 2018 was 2080 (interquartile range or IQR 517–4068). In 2019, the NNS was 2468 (IQR 1050–7924), and in 2020, the NNS was 906 (IQR 108–6550). The data consistently revealed that the states that tested a greater proportion of those screened during ACF and used chest X-rays or CBNAAT (or both) to diagnose TB had a higher diagnostic yield with a lower NNS. Many implementation challenges, related to health systems, healthcare provision and difficulties experienced by patients, were elicited. We suggest a series of strategic interventions addressing the implementation challenges and the six gaps identified in ACF outcomes and the expected indicators that could potentially improve the efficacy and effectiveness of community-based ACF in India.

Download Full-text

A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study of the Utility of Cartridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test in Diagnosis of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in People Living with HIV in Second Highest HIV Prevalent State in India

International Journal of Recent Surgical and Medical Sciences ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1730242 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tade Bagbi ◽

Ningthoukhongjam Reema ◽

S. Bhagyabati Devi ◽

Thangjam Gautam Singh ◽

Mohammad Jaleel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nucleic Acid ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Nucleic Acid Amplification Test ◽

Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽

Rifampicin Resistance ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Smear Negative

Abstract Introduction Tuberculosis (TB) in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) is difficult to diagnose due to fewer organisms in sputum and extrapulmonary samples. Sputum culture takes 4 to 8 weeks for growth of the mycobacteria. Delayed treatment for TB in PLHIV leads to increased mortality. This study evaluated cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) as a diagnostic tool for diagnosis of pulmonary TB (PTB) and extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) in PLHIV in the second most HIV prevalent state in India and for comparing its efficacy between Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) staining sputum smear–positive and sputum smear–negative TB. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in RIMS, Imphal, with 167 PLHIV patients, age 15 years or older, having signs and symptoms of TB. Appropriate samples for sputum microscopy and CBNAAT were sent. Conclusion The overall sensitivity of sputum smear for acid-fast bacillus (AFB) was found to be 30.71% and that of CBNAAT was 38.57%. Sensitivity of CBNAAT for sputum smear–positive and sputum smear–negative TB was 100 and 11.3%, respectively. Sensitivity of ZN smear for AFB of EPTB sample was 48.1% and that of CBNAAT was 59.25%. In both PTB and EPTB, CBNAAT showed an increase in diagnosis of microbiologically confirmed PTB cases by 7.8 and 11.1%, respectively, over and above the cases diagnosed by ZN smear microscopy. Rifampicin resistance was detected in five patients. We conclude that CBNAAT is a rapid test with better sensitivity in diagnosis of PTB and EPTB in PLHIV, compared with ZN smear microscopy. It detects rifampicin resistance for multidrug-resistant TB and helps in early treatment intervention.

Download Full-text

Characterization of Drug-Resistant Lipid-Dependent Differentially Detectable Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10153249 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (15) ◽

pp. 3249

Author(s):

Annelies W. Mesman ◽

Seung-Hun Baek ◽

Chuan-Chin Huang ◽

Young-Mi Kim ◽

Sang-Nae Cho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Culture Media ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Culture Conditions ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Solid Culture ◽

Lowenstein Jensen ◽

Genetic Mechanisms ◽

Lipid Resuscitation

An estimated 15–20% of patients who are treated for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are culture-negative at the time of diagnosis. Recent work has focused on the existence of differentially detectable Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacilli that do not grow under routine solid culture conditions without the addition of supplementary stimuli. We identified a cohort of TB patients in Lima, Peru, in whom acid-fast bacilli could be detected by sputum smear microscopy, but from whom Mtb could not be grown in standard solid culture media. When we attempted to re-grow Mtb from the frozen sputum samples of these patients, we found that 10 out of 15 could be grown in a glycerol-poor/lipid-rich medium. These fell into the following two groups: a subset that could be regrown in glycerol after “lipid-resuscitation”, and a group that displayed a heritable glycerol-sensitive phenotype that were unable to grow in the presence of this carbon source. Notably, all of the glycerol-sensitive strains were found to be multidrug resistant. Although whole-genome sequencing of the lipid-resuscitated strains identified 20 unique mutations compared to closely related strains, no single genetic lesion could be associated with this phenotype. In summary, we found that lipid-based media effectively fostered the growth of Mtb from a series of sputum smear-positive samples that were not culturable in glycerol-based Lowenstein–Jensen or 7H9 media, which is consistent with Mtb’s known preference for non-glycolytic sources during infection. Analysis of the recovered strains demonstrated that both genetic and non-genetic mechanisms contribute to the observed differential capturability, and suggested that this phenotype may be associated with drug resistance.

Download Full-text

Impact of Xpert MTB/RIF on Antiretroviral Therapy-Associated Tuberculosis and Mortality: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofu038 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

L. Mupfumi ◽

B. Makamure ◽

M. Chirehwa ◽

T. Sagonda ◽

S. Zinyowera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Limited Resource ◽

Hiv Treatment ◽

Treatment Programs ◽

Sputum Smear ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Art Initiation

Abstract Introduction. GeneXpert® MTB/RIF (Xpert) is now widely distributed in high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/tuberculosis (TB)-burden countries. Yet, whether the test improves patient-important outcomes within HIV treatment programs in limited resource settings is unknown. Methods. To investigate whether use of Xpert for TB screening prior to initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) improves patient-important outcomes, in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial we assigned 424 patients to Xpert or fluorescence sputum smear microscopy (FM) at ART initiation. The primary endpoint was a composite of 3-month mortality and ART-associated TB. Results. There was no difference in overall TB diagnosis at ART initiation (20% [n = 43] Xpert vs 21% [n = 45] FM; P = .80), with most patients in both groups treated empirically. There was no difference in time to TB treatment initiation {5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3–13) vs 8 days [IQR, 3–23; P = .26]} or loss to follow-up (32 [15%] vs 38 [18%]; P = 0.38). Although a nonsignificant reduction in mortality occurred in the Xpert group (11 [6%] vs 17 [10%]; 95% CI, −9% to 2%; P = .19), there was no difference in the composite outcome (9% [n = 17] Xpert vs 12% [n = 21] FM; difference −3%; 95% CI, −9% to 4%). Conclusions. Among HIV-infected initiating ART, centralized TB screening with Xpert did not reduce the rate of ART-associated TB and mortality, compared with fluorescence microscopy.

Download Full-text