SynthesisGlobal health action2017
Barriers to initiating tuberculosis treatment in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review focused on children and youth.
Synthesis in Global health action, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
63 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 103 citations in OpenAlex.
- Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome and Predictors in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Duration and determinants of delayed tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in high-burden countries: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.Respiratory research · 2021Pooled it
- Patient delay in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2020Pooled it
- Barriers to childhood immunization in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.BMC public health · 2020Pooled it
- Factors influencing diagnosis and treatment initiation for multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in six sub-Saharan African countries: a mixed-methods systematic review.BMJ global health · 2020Pooled it
- Frontline healthcare worker barriers impacting tuberculosis service demand and access in high burden settings: a scoping review.Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Factors associated with tuberculosis contact tracing from the perspective of patients: a cross-sectional survey across three districts in Ghana.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Evaluation of a training intervention on tuberculosis case detection and management among community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Delay in seeking health facility and associated factors among tuberculosis patients in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia, mixed methods study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Delays in tuberculosis care among the top-ten-tuberculosis-high burden countries in the world: a scoping review.The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association · 2026Review
- Settings, characteristics, and experiences of stigma among people with tuberculosis in Kenya: National survey results.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of routine tuberculosis education in a high-burden setting: A prospective observational cohort study.PloS one · 2026Observational
- Delays in tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in India: A patient journey analysis from Mumbai and Patna during the COVID-19 Pandemic.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- "They Call Us Amaphara (Junkies)": Intersectional Tuberculosis, Alcohol, and Drug Stigma in South Africa.Stigma and health · 2025Article
- Global excess tuberculosis mortality during COVID-19: a country-level modeling study of policy and development correlates.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Preferences for tongue swab-based versus sputum-based testing in the context of TB care: a best-worst scaling exercise in Vietnam and Zambia.BMJ global health · 2025Article
- Barriers and Facilitators to Timely Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents in Karachi, Pakistan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Age- and sex-specific care cascades to detect gaps in the care of children with tuberculosis in Bangladesh: a cohort study.Journal of global health · 2025Article
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3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease globally, with 10.4 million people infected and more than 1.8 million deaths in 2015. TB is a preventable, treatable, and curable disease, yet there are numerous barriers to initiating treatment. These barriers to treatment are exacerbated in low-resource settings and may be compounded by factors related to childhood.
objectiveTimely initiation of tuberculosis (TB) treatment is critical to reducing disease transmission and improving patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to describe patient- and system-level barriers to TB treatment initiation specifically for children and youth in sub-Saharan Africa through systematic review of the literature.
designThis review was conducted in October 2015 in accordance with preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Six databases were searched to identify studies where primary or secondary objectives were related to barriers to TB treatment initiation and which included children or youth 0-24 years of age.
resultsA total of 1490 manuscripts met screening criteria; 152 met criteria for full-text review and 47 for analysis. Patient-level barriers included limited knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding TB, and economic burdens. System-level barriers included centralization of services, health system delays, and geographical access to healthcare. Of the 47 studies included, 7 evaluated cost, 19 health-seeking behaviors, and 29 health system infrastructure. Only 4 studies primarily assessed pediatric cohorts yet all 47 studies were inclusive of children.
conclusionsRecognizing and removing barriers to treatment initiation for pediatric TB in sub-Saharan Africa are critical. Both patient- and system-level barriers must be better researched in order to improve patient outcomes.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.