Tuberculosis Situation in El-Minia Governorate (1997-2010) before and after Direct Observed Therapy Short Course Strategy (DOTS)

Aim of the Work: Was to study the tuberculosis situation in El-Minia governorate before and after applications of the direct observed therapy short course strategy (DOTS).

Subjects and Methods: A retrospective study that was carried out at El-Minia chest hospitals and dispensaries to include all the cases of tuberculosis from January 1997 till December 2010. The materials in this study were collected from TB registration units in El-Minia governorate. DOTS Strategy in chest hospitals and dispensaries started since 2002. Collection and analysis of data included (demographic data, diagnosis of disease, sputum smear results, previous treatment history, and treatment outcome, Measurement of indicators for every year and Comparison of indicators. A descriptive analysis of data was performed using SAS software. Data were described in absolute numbers and percentages. Statistical significance was set at P values less than 0.05.

Results: The total number of recorded TB cases was 7860 (3838 before DOTS and 4022 after DOTS).The highest incidence occurred in the age group of 15 to less than 30 years (30.69% before and 31.15% after DOTS), males constituted 53.35 % while females constitute 46.65%, Rural cases (68.28%) were significantly higher than urban cases (31.72%) during all years of the study. total number of extrapulmonary tuberculous cases was 2440, the highest incidence was in tuberculous lymphadenitis.(36.8%).Conversion rate was improved after DOTS from 33.05% to 60.94%. There was an improvement in cure rate, treatment completion rate, and treatment success rate after DOTS.

Conclusion: Tuberculosis is still a health care problem in El-Minia governorate the burden of the productive age group of 15–45 years. The implementation of DOTS in El-Minia governorate had led to significant increase in treatment success rate (93.87%) and decrease in default and failure rates.