Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health problem. Early
detection and initiation of treatment shortens infectious period and is key to
TB control. A considerable proportion of TB patients presenting with advanced
symptoms suggests delay in seeking care. As TB control programs rely on passive
case finding, TB care-seeking behavior is critical as un-diagnosed cases act as
reservoirs for transmission. This study assessed patient health seeking
behavior and choice of place of care among TB patients in Nigeria. Methods: This was a pro-gramme
implementation, facility-based cross-sectional study in 14 states, 92 facilities
across three levels of care. Interviewer-administered semi-structured
questionnaires were used. Information on personal characteristics and health
seeking behavior was collected from June 2020 to December 2021. The analysis
was based on the various healthcare providers where the respondents first
sought care. Data analysis was done using
IBM SPSS and summarized using frequency and percentages. Chi square test
was used for associations of characteristics of patients and choice of place of
care at p < 0.05. Results: In all 14 states, distribution of overall
first place of seeking care for TB symptoms was: 7208 (75.8%) health facilities (range 57% to 88%),
while 2294 (24.2%) visited other places including community pharmacist, patent
medicine vendor, traditional/home, un-specified/none. For Health facilities,
the majority were at public facilities 6563 (69.1%) and private 641 (6.7%).
Moreover, 6 states had >20% of respondents who first sought care at PMVs, while 3 states (Delta,
Imo, and Rivers) had 10% of respondents who first sought care at Community
Pharmacist. Conclusions: Nearly a quarter of people with TB
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