Factors affecting tuberculosis case detection in Kersa District, South West Ethiopia

Tuberculosis is one of the deadly communicable diseases which claim the lives of millions in the world. Early case detection and prompt treatment cures the patients, breaks the transmission and improves the control program.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting tuberculosis case detection in Kersa District, south west Ethiopia.

Facility based cross sectional study design was employed in four directly observed treatment short course service providing public health centers. Three hundred eighty four patient folders were reviewed. In-depth interviews was conducted with 18 health care workers including heads of health centers, tuberculosis focal persons, clinicians, laboratory technicians, tuberculosis program coordinator and head of health office.

Significant number, 135(35.2%) of tuberculosis suspects were not requested for microscopic examination of sputum smear, the laboratory results 21(8.4%) of requested patients were not recorded in both patient folders and laboratory registers. Only 10 (4.4%) of those examined and recorded were smearing positive. Participants described that the shortage and irregular supply of acid fast bacilli reagents and consumable, inadequate infrastructures, frequent electricity interruption, shortage of trained care providers, negligence of care providers, weakness of laboratory quality assurance system and poor health information use culture were major factors for low case identification.

The resource shortage, electricity interruption, low commitment of care providers, weak quality assurance practice and poor health information use culture were major factors for low tuberculosis case identification and should be considered.