ArticleIJTLD open2025
Community-based pulmonary rehabilitation for post-TB lung disease - a programmatic intervention.
Article in IJTLD open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Early interventions reduce multimorbidity and TB disability in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.IJTLD open · 2026Article
- Proceedings from the Third International Post-Tuberculosis Symposium: expanding the circle.IJTLD open · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMany survivors of pulmonary TB struggle with poor lung health and poor quality of life.
methodsWe designed and implemented a culturally appropriate, low-cost, community-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program, and measured its effect on health and wellbeing. We identified former TB patients with pulmonary complaints in 9 districts in Malawi. Those who met the inclusion criteria were divided into groups and given a tailored training program with an educational component and guided through sessions twice per week for 12 weeks. Data on 13 health variables was collected before and after the PR.
results467 former TB patients were enrolled. 285 (61%) were female. The mean age was 45 years (16-81). After the 12-week PR, chest pain reduced from 66.4% (310) to 8.8% (41) and cough from 47.5% (222) to 9.6% (45). Moderate and severe dyspnea disappeared, and no one scored below 80 on the Karnofsky Index scale after the PR ended. Endurance and functional capacity measured by 6-minute walk test (6MWT) increased by 15.5%.
conclusionThe 12-week course of PR had a positive effect on people's health and well-being, and it is now integrated into the National TB strategy in Malawi. The benefits of such programs are highly significant for the individual and the broader community. We strongly encourage other countries to implement similar PR programs.
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