ArticleBulletin of the World Health Organization2018
Patient-led active tuberculosis case-finding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Article in Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Community views on active case finding for tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative evidence synthesis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Facilitators and barriers to tuberculosis active case findings in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review of qualitative research.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Pooled it
- Feasibility of ending tuberculosis in Shangrao City through active intervention measures: a mathematical study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Contact tracing strategies for infectious diseases: A systematic literature review.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Designing community-based strategies to reach non-household contacts of people with tuberculosis in Lusaka, Zambia: a rapid qualitative study among key stakeholders.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- A mixed methods study on men's and women's tuberculosis care journeys in Lusaka, Zambia-Implications for gender-tailored tuberculosis health promotion and case finding strategies.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Intervention Effect of New Tuberculosis Control Model on Tuberculosis Incidence in Xinjiang.Infection and drug resistance · 2023Article
- Data-driven identification of communities with high levels of tuberculosis infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Active Case Finding for Tuberculosis in India: A Syntheses of Activities and Outcomes Reported by the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2021Review
- Risk Factors for TB/HIV Coinfection and Consequences for Patient Outcomes: Evidence from 241 Clinics in the Democratic Republic of Congo.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Finding the missing millions: lessons from 10 active case finding interventions in high tuberculosis burden countries.BMJ global health · 2020Article
- Case finding strategies under National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).The Indian journal of tuberculosis · 2020Review
- Mobilising community networks for early identification of tuberculosis and treatment initiation in Cambodia: an evaluation of a seed-and-recruit model.ERJ open research · 2020Article
- Opportunities for community health workers to contribute to global efforts to end tuberculosis.Global public health · 2020Review
- A miner with No left lung: Extensive pulmonary destruction in delayed effective Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis treatment.Respiratory medicine case reports · 2020Article
- Active TB case finding in a high burden setting; comparison of community and facility-based strategies in Lusaka, Zambia.PloS one · 2020Article
- Household Air Pollution Is Associated with Chronic Cough but Not Hemoptysis after Completion of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment in Adults, Rural Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Article
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Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate the effect of using volunteer screeners in active tuberculosis case-finding in South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially among groups at high risk of tuberculosis infection.
methodsTo identify and screen high-risk groups in remote communities, we trained volunteer screeners, mainly those who had themselves received treatment for tuberculosis or had a family history of the disease. A non-profit organization was created and screeners received training on the disease and its transmission at 3-day workshops. Screeners recorded the number of people screened, reporting a prolonged cough and who attended a clinic for testing, as well as test results. Data were evaluated every quarter during the 3-year period of the intervention (2014-2016).
findingsAcceptability of the intervention was high. Volunteers screened 650 434 individuals in their communities, 73 418 of whom reported a prolonged cough; 50 368 subsequently attended a clinic for tuberculosis testing. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 1 in 151 people screened, costing 0.29 United States dollars (US$) per person screened and US$ 44 per person diagnosed. Although members of high-risk groups with poorer access to health care represented only 5.1% (33 002/650 434) of those screened, they contributed 19.7% (845/4300) of tuberculosis diagnoses (1 diagnosis per 39 screened). The intervention resulted in an additional 4300 sputum-smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis diagnoses, 42% (4 300/10 247) of the provincial total for that period.
conclusionPatient-led active tuberculosis case-finding represents a valuable complement to traditional case-finding, and should be used to assist health systems in the elimination of tuberculosis.
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