TB burden and diagnostic challenges at Sandaun Provincial Hospital in West Sepik Province of PNG, 2016-2021

Bacteriological confirmation of TB diagnosis remains a key operational challenge in Papua New Guinea. Sandaun Provincial Hospital (SPH) is the main TB diagnostic and treatment centre of West Sepik Province.

To evaluate TB caseload, patient characteristics, and quality of diagnosis at SPH between 2016 and 2021.

A retrospective descriptive study using TB treatment, laboratory, and presumptive TB registers to collect data on all TB patients. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with bacteriological confirmation.

Of 1,305 TB patients registered, 25% were children (<15 years) and 30% had extrapulmonary TB. The quality of sputum was associated with a positive smear microscopy result (P = 0.002). The proportion bacteriologically confirmed was low (37.3%), being higher in young adults 15-44 years (50.6%, 377/745) than in children <15 years (6.3%, 20/319) or older adults ≥45 years (37.6%, 68/181). Bacteriological confirmation was less likely in people travelling ≥3 hours to a health facility (adjusted OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.34-0.97) and extrapulmonary TB (aOR 0.01, 95% CI 0.00-0.03) but more likely for retreatment cases (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.00-2.51).

Diagnostic services in West Sepik Province need strengthening to achieve a higher proportion of bacteriological confirmation in new pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB cases of all ages and improve access for the rural population.