{
  "abstract": "Evidence on treatment completion among patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is limited. We estimated the treatment completion rate and identified factors associated with completion among patients with rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (RR/MDR-TB) in Mbuji-Mayi. This retrospective cohort included all patients with RR/MDR-TB who initiated treatment between January 2019 and December 2023 in the 10 health zones of Mbuji-Mayi. Treatment completion was defined as a documented completed treatment course without evidence of failure; all other recorded outcomes were classified as non-completion. Variables were classified as baseline or treatment-period variables. Modified Poisson regression with cluster-robust variance at the health-zone level estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRRs). Of 514 patients, 382 (74.3%; 95% CI 70.4-77.9) completed treatment. Completion ranged from 69.7% to 78.8% by year (p = 0.653) and from 60.4% to 87.5% by health zone (p = 0.041). After adjustment, completion was associated with age ≤50 years (aRR 1.21 (1.11-1.31)), normal nutritional status (aRR 1.30 (1.22-1.40)) and directly observed treatment (aRR 1.26 (1.16-1.37)). Among treatment-period variables, negative month-3 culture (aRR 1.36 (1.15-1.62)), absence of treatment interruption (aRR 1.68 (1.30-2.17)) and absence of drug stock-out (aRR 1.84 (1.44-2.34)) were also associated with completion. The age association was driven by patients older than 60 years. About three quarters of patients completed DR-TB treatment, with variation across health zones. Because month-3 culture, treatment interruption and drug stock-outs were recorded during treatment, temporality cannot be established for these associations; prospective studies with complete outcome reporting are needed.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control, Faculty of Public Health, Official University of Mbuji-Mayi, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.",
    "Mbuji-Mayi Health Zone, Provincial Health Division of Kasai-Oriental, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.",
    "School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.",
    "Department of Public Health, University of Kamina, Kamina, Democratic Republic of the Congo.",
    "Expanded Programme on Immunization, Ministry of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Elvis Badianga Kumbu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Simon Ilunga Kandolo",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-8804-4478"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Michel Kabamba Nzaji",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3843-654X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1fpt3xxcrpaw.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.2147/idr.s647024",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13742011",
  "id": "d1fpt3xxcrpaw",
  "issns": [
    "1178-6973"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997562",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2725|Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7225110478",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13742011?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13742011",
  "pmid": "42997562",
  "published": "2026-11-02",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1fpt3xxcrpaw.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T15:20:34Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42997562",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997562"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2725|Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology",
      "subfield": "infectious-disease"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Treatment Completion and Associated Factors in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Retrospective Cohort Study.",
  "title_text": "Treatment Completion and Associated Factors in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Retrospective Cohort Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T15:20:34Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d1fpt3xxcrpaw",
  "venue": "Infection and drug resistance",
  "versions": []
}