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Tuberculosis in a prison population in Mwanza, Tanzania (1994-1997)
E Rutta1, D Mutasingwa, S Ngallaba
1Department of Community Health, Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania. erutta@bushlink.co.tz
Setting:
Bugando Medical Centre, a referral consultant hospital in the lake zone to which all inmates from Butimba prison are admitted and treated.
Objective:
To determine the extent of open (smear-positive) tuberculosis and other types of tuberculosis among prisoners with tuberculosis.
Design:
A retrospective cohort study. Case notes of 501 prisoners from January 1994 to December 1997 were retrieved and reviewed.
Results:
The proportion of open tuberculosis in this study was high, with 204 prisoners (40.7%) having smear-positive tuberculosis. Co-infection was recorded in the majority of patients; HIV/AIDS was recorded in 25.9% of cases. The mean length of imprisonment at the time of diagnosis was 19 months.
Conclusion:
The proportion of open, smear-positive tuberculosis among prisoners admitted with tuberculosis is high. Intervention measures specifically targeting this population are urgently needed in order to contain tuberculosis disease in the prison population.