Individual journeys to tuberculosis care in Nigeria's private sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pre-COVID-19, individuals with tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria were often underdiagnosed and untreated. TB services were mostly in the public sector with only 15% of new cases in 2019 reported from the private sector. Reports highlighted challenges in accessing care in the private sector, which accounted for 67% of all initial care-seeking. Our study examined patients' health seeking pathways for TB in Nigeria's private sector and explored any changes to care pathways during COVID-19.

Methods

We conducted 180 cross-sectional surveys and 20 in-depth interviews with individuals having chest symptoms attending 18 high-volume private clinics and hospitals in Kano and Lagos States. Questions focused on sociodemographic characteristics, health-seeking behaviour, and pathwa

SUBMITTER: Oga-Omenka C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10806899 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature