Implementation of biomedical and social support for people affected by multidrug resistant tuberculosis in guinea

Aims and objectives: In 2016, Guinea had an estimated notification rate of 177 new tuberculosis (TB) cases per 100.000 population, with 360 estimated-number of rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB cases. In 2014, Damien Foundation and the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) of Guinea started a biomedical-social-support to people treated by multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in one-pilot health-facility. The aim of this study is to analysis effectiveness of biomedical-social-support on MDR-TB-care. Methods: All MDR-TB-cases treated during 2016 to 2017 were analysed. Treatment-outcomes were compared according to the provision of biomedical-social-support in one pilot-health-facility to two-health-facilities without it. In biomedical-social-support, all biological-tests, ancillary drugs were provided free of charge and a nutritional-kit and transport-refunds were monthly provided during the whole treatment. Treatment regimen included 20-month treatment regimen with Kanamycin (Km), Levofloxacin (Lfx), Cycloserine (Cs), Pyrazinamide (Z) and Prothionamide (Pto) during 6-month in the intensive-phase, followed by 12-18-month of same drugs but Km. Results: We included 75 MDR-TB cases, 7(9%) HIV-positive. Mean-age was 26years (IQR 15-49). All cases were pulmonary-TB, from which 10(13%) were new-cases. There were 27 MDR-TB cases with biomedical-social support and 48 without it. Mean delay of treatment-start in days was 20(IQR 9-110) in the pilot health-facility compared to 34(IQR 9-111). Treatment outcomes in the group with biomedical-social support were: cured 22(82%), treatment-completion 0(0%), death 2(7%), failure 1(4%) and 2(7%) lost-to-follow-up compared to those without biomedical-social support 23(48%), 2(4%), 9(19%), 2(4%) and 12(25%) respectively. Treatment success to unfavourable- outcomes (failure, death and lost-to-follow-up) in the pilot health-facility was 82% and 18% respectively compared to 52% and 48% respectively in those health-facilities without biomedical-social support (p<0.01). Conclusions: The introduction of biomedical-social support to people affected by MDR-TB was successful in Guinea. People who benefited from this strategy had more favourable treatment-outcomes. The biomedical-social support could improve treatment-success if extended to all MDR-TB people under treatment.