Results of three-year implementation of contact investigation in Kosovo
Session
Medicine and Nursing
Description
Objective: To assess the progress of contact investigation in Kosovo, assess outcomes and effectiveness, and identify performance gaps. METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive study were routine surveillance data were analyzed to assess contact investigations outcomes implemented during 2016, 2017 and 2018. The coverage of index cases with contact investigation and the yield of contact investigation on TB notification rate were calculated. The treatment outcomes of latent tb infection (LTBI) were assessed. RESULTS: The coverage of index cases with contact investigation procedures increased from 47% in 2016 to 55% in 2018. The number of index cases assessed was 1097, out of them 563 (51.3%) were bacteriologically confirmed. There were 5247 contacts evaluated, the mean number of contacts per index case was 5. The 53% of contacts were female and children from 0-5 constituted 5.3% of contacts. In total, 101 cases were diagnosed with TB, 54% bacteriologically confirmed. The contact investigation yield to TB notification rate was 5%. The total number of LTBI among contacts was 407 and 372 (91.4%) commenced treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite increasingly favorable outcomes on coverage of index cases and detection of TB and LTBI cases, there were modest results on follow-up of contacts and poor monitoring of LTBI treatment outcomes. Further improvement of contact investigation should encompass development of contacts follow-up strategy, monitoring of preventive treatment therapy outcomes, and ensuring legal and financial sustainability for contact investigation network.
Keywords:
tuberculosis, contact investigation, surveillance, outcome assessment, program evaluation
Session Chair
Syheda Latifi Hoxha
Session Co-Chair
Shqiptar Demaçi
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-550-19-2
Location
Pristina, Kosovo
Start Date
26-10-2019 3:30 PM
End Date
26-10-2019 5:00 PM
DOI
10.33107/ubt-ic.2019.313
Recommended Citation
Kurhasani, Xhevat, "Results of three-year implementation of contact investigation in Kosovo" (2019). UBT International Conference. 313.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/2019/events/313
Results of three-year implementation of contact investigation in Kosovo
Pristina, Kosovo
Objective: To assess the progress of contact investigation in Kosovo, assess outcomes and effectiveness, and identify performance gaps. METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive study were routine surveillance data were analyzed to assess contact investigations outcomes implemented during 2016, 2017 and 2018. The coverage of index cases with contact investigation and the yield of contact investigation on TB notification rate were calculated. The treatment outcomes of latent tb infection (LTBI) were assessed. RESULTS: The coverage of index cases with contact investigation procedures increased from 47% in 2016 to 55% in 2018. The number of index cases assessed was 1097, out of them 563 (51.3%) were bacteriologically confirmed. There were 5247 contacts evaluated, the mean number of contacts per index case was 5. The 53% of contacts were female and children from 0-5 constituted 5.3% of contacts. In total, 101 cases were diagnosed with TB, 54% bacteriologically confirmed. The contact investigation yield to TB notification rate was 5%. The total number of LTBI among contacts was 407 and 372 (91.4%) commenced treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Despite increasingly favorable outcomes on coverage of index cases and detection of TB and LTBI cases, there were modest results on follow-up of contacts and poor monitoring of LTBI treatment outcomes. Further improvement of contact investigation should encompass development of contacts follow-up strategy, monitoring of preventive treatment therapy outcomes, and ensuring legal and financial sustainability for contact investigation network.