Background: Globally, tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease. TB treatment outcome is an important indicator for the effectiveness of a national TB control program. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes of TB patients and its determinants in Batkhela,

Abstract Background: Globally, tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease. TB treatment outcome is an indicator for the effectiveness of a national TB control program. This study aimed to assess treatment outcomes of TB patients and its determinants in Batkhela, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed using all TB patients who were enrolled at District Head Quarter (DHQ) Hospital Batkhela, Pakistan, from January 2011 to December 2014. A binary logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with successful TB treatment outcomes defined as the sum of cure and completed treatment. Results: A total of 515 TB patients were registered, of which 237 (46%) were males and 278 (53.98%) females. Of all patients, 234 (45.44%) were cured and 210 (40.77%) completed treatment. The overall treatment success rate was 444 (86.21%). Age 0-20 years (adjusted odds ratio, AOR= 3.47; 95% confidence interval, CI)= 1.54-7.81; P= 0.003), smear-positive pulmonary TB (AOR)= 3.58; 95% CI= 1.89-6.78; P= <0.001), treatment category (AOR= 4.71; 95% CI= 1.17-18.97; P= 0.029), and year of enrollment 2012 (AOR= 6.26; 95% CI= 2.52-15.59; P= <0.001) were significantly associated with successful treatment outcome. Conclusions: The overall treatment success rate is satisfactory but still need to be improved to achieve the international targeted treatment outcome. Type of TB, age, treatment category, and year of enrollment were significantly associated with successful treatment outcomes.

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Introduction: Typhoid fever, a bacterial disease caused by Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) remains a major health problem in the Asian sub-continent due to poor hygienic conditions. Aim: Our aim was to determine the prevalence of Typhoid fever among the general population of district Lower Dir, Pakistan in order to describe the disease occurrence and distribution. Material and methods: This was a descriptive-epidemiological study. 1076 subjects were enrolled; with presentation of common symptoms of typhoid at the Fazal-Rahim Clinical Laboratory as inclusion criteria. Typhidot test was performed for all participants. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test and P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. PHStat software was used for statistical analyses. Results and discussion: The study comprised of 414 males and 662 females. 37.26% of total cases were found positive; Females (62.64%) were more affected compared to males (37.4%). Furthermore, the IgM antibodies were detected in 353 (88.02%) patients while IgG antibodies were present in only 48 (19.98%). Age group 20-40 years recorded the highest incidence of cases 242 (60.34%); also the month of March recorded the highest incidence of cases 67 (50.38%). Overall, typhoid is a common disease in the local population of Dir (Lower), it is dominant in females with the highest burden recorded in the economically-productive age group 20-40 years. Conclusions: Further studies are recommended to determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern; there is need to launch effective programmes for the eradication of the disease and promote safe drinking water and food through public enlightenment and education.

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