Community prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms in rural Malawi: Implications for policy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

No community prevalence studies have been done on chronic respiratory symptoms of cough, wheezing and shortness of breath in adult rural populations in Malawi. Case detection rates of tuberculosis (TB) and chronic airways disease are low in resource-poor primary health care facilities.

Objective

To understand the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and recorded diagnoses of TB in rural Malawian adults in order to improve case detection and management of these diseases.

Methods

A population proportional, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the proportion of the population with chronic respiratory symptoms that had a diagnosis of tuberculosis or chronic airways disease in two rural communities in Malawi. Households were randomly selected u

SUBMITTER: Banda HT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5720679 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature