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Home / Public Health Action, Volume 5, Number 3

Open Access Double trouble: tuberculosis and substance abuse in Nagaland, India

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The diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in people who use and/or inject illicit drugs (PWUIDs) remains a barrier to achieving universal coverage for TB in India and globally. This report describes treatment outcomes in PWUIDs who received treatment for drug-susceptible TB at the Mon District Hospital in Nagaland, India, during 2012–2013. The median age of the patients was 39 years, and most (92%) were male. Two thirds (33/49) of the patients had a successful TB treatment outcome. A previous TB episode and residence in a semi-urban area were associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes. Separate diagnostic and treatment algorithms, including regular adherence counselling and opioid substitution therapies, should be considered for PWUIDs.

Keywords: IDU; adherence; operational research; opium

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Médecins Sans Frontières, Mon, Nagaland, India 2: Evergreen Welfare Society, Mon, Nagaland, India 3: District TB Control Office, Revised National TB Control Programme, Mon, Nagaland, India 4: Southern Africa Medical Unit, Médecins Sans Frontières, Cape Town, South Africa 5: Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Research Unit, Luxembourg city, Luxembourg 6: Médecins Sans Frontières, Mon, Nagaland, India, Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Research Unit, Luxembourg city, Luxembourg

Publication date: 21 September 2015

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  • Public Health Action (PHA), The Union's quarterly Open Access journal, welcomes the submission of articles on operational research. It publishes high-quality scientific research on health services, providing new knowledge on how to improve access, equity, quality and efficiency of health systems and services.

    The Editors will consider any manuscript reporting original research on quality improvements, cost-benefit analysis, legislation, training and capacity building, with a focus on all relevant areas of public health (e.g. infection control, nutrition, TB, HIV, vaccines, smoking, COVID-19, microbial resistance, outbreaks etc).

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