NSU Research Contributions
Title : FEMALE FRIENDLY TB-CARE INTERVENTION: AN EFFECTIVE MODEL FOR MINIMIZING GENDER DISPARITIES IN TB-CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF BANGLADESH
Authors : Md. Manirul Islam,Nazmul A Khan,SAM Khairul Bashar,Jahirul Karim,Pratap Singhasivenon,Shaikh Abdus Salam,Hamid Salim, Mobashera Jahan
Abstract : BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) remains the primary killer of adult women and men in developing countries despite the existence of highly effective tools that can completely cure the disease (Jacobson, 2001). Bangladesh ranks 5th among the top 22 high TB burden countries of the world, where 300,000 new TB cases occur every year, half of them are infectious and therefore spreading the infections in the community (WHO, 2005). TB is associated with taboos, fear and stigma (Somma, 2008; Anderson 2008). These factors along with poor health care facilities and unfriendly behaviors of health care providers can create barriers for TB patients in accessing health centers for treatment, despite availability of free, highly effective TB drugs under DOTS program. OBJECTIVE The Intervention was given to compare the effectiveness of Female Friendly TB-care intervention with a non intervention community in terms of case detection, social problems in accessing TB care and treatment outcomes, particularly among the female TB patients of a rural community of Bangladesh. METHODOLOGY A total of 350 new TB patients (age ? 15 years), comprising of 175 from intervention and 175 patients from a non intervention community were sampled following a systematic sampling technique, from April 01, 2004 to April 30, 2005, and followed-up until completion of treatment. RESULTS The basic characteristics of the study population were majority of the females (65.8%) were within the age group of 15-34 years. The median age of female TB patients was 25 years compared to 40 years for male TB patients. The female patients of the control community confronted more social problems and stigma than the intervention community. Female TB patients of the intervention community experienced less severe social problems and stigma (20%) than the control community (25.8%) which is statistically significant (P< 0.05). Female patients of the intervention community had better knowledge on tuberculosis (83.6%) than the control community (68.2%). The detection rate for female patients emarkably increased in the intervention community after using Gender Sensitive Package Services during the year 2004 (34.37% vs 26.69%) to 2005 (35.05% vs 28.57%). The treatment outcome of female patients in regard to the cure rate was much better (86.7%) than for male TB patients (77.1%). The cure rate of the female patients of the intervention community (91.8%) was greater than the female TB patients of the control community (81.9%).
| Journal : | Volume : | Year : 2008 | Issue : |
| Pages : 151 | City : Auckland | Edition : 1 | Editors : |
| Publisher : | ISBN : | Book : | Chapter : |
| Proceeding Title : The Third International Asian Health and Wellbeing Conference | Institution : | Issuer : | Number : |