A STUDY ON TREATMENT OUTCOME OF NEW SPUTUM SMEAR POSITIVE TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS AMONG TRIBAL POPULATION IN KURNOOL DISTRICT

Background: India accounts for nearly 20% of the global burden of tuberculosis, with global tuberculosis ranking of ‘one’. It is the leading infections cause of death in India. Around 1.8 million people are detected to have tuberculosis every year in India, of which about 0.8 million are new smear positive highly infections cases. Aims & Objectives: To find out various treatment outcome rates of tuberculosis patients among tribal population. To study on factors influencing cure rates among tribal population. Material & methods: The present study of treatment outcome of new sputum positive tuberculosispatients’ is a prospective, community based study. Patients diagnosed and registered from IVth quarter of 2006 to 1st quarter of 2008 in Athmakur tuberculosis unit, Kurnool district are selected for prospective study. They are followed from the time of registration and treatment till the completion of treatment. The study is continued till the last registered tuberculosis case completes the treatment. All the cases were followed for sputum smear conversions, smear examination at the end of treatment regimen. Duration of study is 1year and 3 months. Results: A total 45 tribal cases of Athmakur tuberculosis unit, Kurnool district were studied for treatment outcomes.31 (68.89%) were males and 14 (31.11%) were females. Male to Female ratio of 2.21:1 was observed among the patients. There is ahigh prevalence in .Conclusion: The expected treatment outcome norms (cure rate > 85%, failure rate <4%, death rate <4%, default rate<5%, smear conversion rate >90%) were observed in the present study. Cure rate of 91.11%, failure rate of 4.4%, death rate of 4.4%, smear conversion rate of 93.33% were observed in the study, which shows that the implementation of Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme in the study area has achieved the prescribed goals.