Lessons learned from community-based tuberculosis case-finding in western Kenya

Although Kenya has a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), only 46% of cases were diagnosed in 2016.

To identify strategies for increasing attendance at community-based mobile screening units.

We analysed operational data from a cluster-randomised trial, which included community-based mobile screening implemented during February 2015-April 2016. Community health volunteers (CHVs) recruited individuals with symptoms from the community, who were offered testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sputum collection for Xpert^® MTB/RIF testing. We compared attendance across different mobile unit sites using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

A total of 1424 adults with symptoms were screened at 25 mobile unit sites. The median total attendance among sites was 54 (range 6-134, interquartile range [IQR] 24-84). The median yields of TB diagnoses and new HIV diagnoses were respectively 2.4% (range 0.0-16.7, IQR 0.0-5.3) and 2.5% (range 0.0-33.3, IQR 1.2-4.2). Attendance at urban sites was variable; attendance at rural sites where CHVs were paid a daily minimum wage was significantly higher than at rural sites where CHVs were paid a nominal monthly stipend (P < 0.001).

Mobile units were most effective and efficient when implemented as a single event with community health workers who are paid a daily wage.