Project Title: “Novelties in TB Diagnostics” – “Surveillance of M/XDR TB who defaulted from treatment”, Global Disease Detection (648), CDC, USA; Project duration:  01.01.2014 – 28.08.2014.

Project Summary

a). Project objectives:  

Georgia is one of twenty- seven high burden MDR-TB countries as designated by the WHO. Starting from March 2008, in help with the Green Light Committee the Georgian NTP initiated second line anti-TB treatment. The National TB Program faces challenges regarding high MDR TB treatment default rate (34% for the 2011 cohort). Treatment default is defined by an interruption of TB treatment for at least two consecutive months. Patients are not followed-up after the treatment interruption and there is no information about long term outcomes among defaulted cases. The overall goal of this project was to characterize the long term outcomes of the M/XDR-TB patients who were lost-to-follow-up from treatment in order to evaluate public health threat.

The Objectives of the study were:

Todetermine the long term outcomes among M/XDR-TB patients who were lost-to-follow-up from treatment (possible outcomes: death, alive, re-entered the treatment)

Characterization of risk factors associated with the mortality after lost-to-follow-up

Evaluate current health condition in lost-to-follow-up patients alive

b).Project  Implementation:

The major tool of the Project was a questionnaire administered by epidemiologists. By educating and communicating importance of TB treatment, NCDC Epidemiologists have been taking attempts to bring the defaulted M/XDR-TB patients to the TB Center for treatment and care.

c). Project Benefits:

Starting in 2014, within the frame of the State TB Program, Regional Public Health Epidemiologists (PHE) became responsible for tracking and educating the patients who reveal non-adherence to MDR TB treatment. The protocol developed by the Project team will be used by epidemiologists while performing this activity.