Assessment of Smear-Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Associated Factors among Patients Visiting Health Facilities of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) was one of the top causes of ill health and the leading cause of deaths worldwide until the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Hence, this study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of sputum smear-positive TB and associated factors among TB-suspected patients attending in Gedeo Zone health facilities, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 TB-suspected patients in Gedeo Zone health facilities from July 01 to Sep 30, 2021. Patients were grouped as smear positive if one sputum out of two was positive or two sputum smears became positive. Various descriptive statistics were computed using the SPSS-25, and factors to smear positivity were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Odds ratio at 95% CI and Results: The overall prevalence of smear-positive TB in Gedeo Zone health facilities was 18.2%, which is significantly high, and the MTB detection rate of GeneXpert was 29.5%. Contact with a TB patient, cigarette smoking, and previously treatment for TB were factors significantly associated with smear-positive TB. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of smear-positive PTB in the study area was 18.2% and 29.5% by direct sputum AFB and sputum GeneXpert, respectively. As a result, we recommend intervention on the identified associated risk factors and further studies to ascertain risk factors and their magnitude at the community level.