Treatment outcomes and antiretroviral uptake in Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis and HIV coinfected Patients in Sub Saharan Africa. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in HIV endemic settings is a major threat to public health. MDR-TB is a substantial and underreported problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with recognised cases projected to increase with advancement in diagnostic technology. There is paucity of review evidence on treatment outcomes and antiretroviral (ART) uptake among MDR-TB patients with HIV in SSA. To address this gap a review of treatment outcomes in HIV patients co-infected with MDR-TB in the SSA region was undertaken. eligibility and data extracted. Random effect meta-analysis was conducted using STATA and Cochrane's review manager.Results: A total of 271 publications were identified of which nine fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data was collected from 3368 MDR-TB and HIV co-infected patients from four SSA countries; South Africa (6), Lesotho (1), Botswana (1) and Ethiopia (1). The most common outcome was cure (34.9% cured in the pooled analysis), this was followed by death (18.1% in pooled analysis). ART uptake was high, at 83% in the pooled analysis. Cure ranged from 28.6 to 54.7% among patients on ART and from 22.2 to 57.7% among those not on ART medication. MDR-TB and HIV coinfected patients were less likely to be successfully treated than HIV negative MDR-TB patients (Risk Ratio = 0.87, 95% CI 0.97, 0.96).Conclusion: Treatment outcomes for MDR-TB and HIV co-infected patients do not vary widely from those reported globally. However, treatment success was lower among HIV positive MDR-TB patients compared to HIV negative MDR-TB patients. Prompt antiretroviral initiation and interventions to improve treatment adherence are necessary.