The Contribution of Private Health Facilities to the Urban Tuberculosis Program of Afghanistan
The Contribution of Private Health Facilities to the Urban Tuberculosis Program of Afghanistan
By Azizullah Hamim, Mohammad Khaled Seddiq, Said Mirza Sayedi, Mohammad Kakerah Rashid, Ghulam Qader Qader, Lutfullah Manzoor, Muluken Melese, and Pedro G.Suarez
Publication: Indian Journal of Tuberculosis, 23 March 2022; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijtb.2022.03.005
Abstract
Although the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) is generally higher in urban areas than in rural areas, coordination between the private and public sectors for TB control is weak. The objective of this study was to share experiences from an urban DOTS program in five cities of Afghanistan – Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Herat, Mazari-i-Sharif, and Paul-i-Khomri.
In total, 57 public health facilities and 49 private facilities provided DOTS services in the five cities from 2015 to 2018.
The study found that the private sector’s contribution to TB case detection was very high, as was the TB positivity rate among people screened. This could be due to more selective screening at private facilities, as opposed to public health facilities, which screen all visitors.