Policy and programmatic directions for the Lesotho tuberculosis programme: Findings of the national tuberculosis prevalence survey, 2019.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The Kingdom of Lesotho has one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis (TB) in the world. A national TB prevalence survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB disease among those ≥15 years of age in 2019.

Method

A multistage cluster-based cross-sectional survey where residents ≥15 years in 54 clusters sampled from across the country were eligible to participate. Survey participants were screened using a symptom screen questionnaire and digital chest X-ray (CXR). Respondents who acknowledged cough of any duration, fever, weight loss, night sweats and/or had any CXR abnormality in the lungs were asked to provide two spot sputum specimens. All sputum testing was conducted at the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL),

SUBMITTER: Matji R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9997977 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature