Treatment Completion and Associated Factors in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control, Faculty of Public Health, Official University of Mbuji-Mayi, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 2Mbuji-Mayi Health Zone, Provincial Health Division of Kasai-Oriental, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 3School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 4Department of Public Health, University of Kamina, Kamina, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- 5Expanded Programme on Immunization, Ministry of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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.
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BibTeX
@article{kumbu2026treatment,
title = {{Treatment Completion and Associated Factors in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Retrospective Cohort Study.}},
author = {Elvis Badianga Kumbu and Simon Ilunga Kandolo and Michel Kabamba Nzaji},
journal = {Infection and drug resistance},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.2147/idr.s647024},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997562},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Treatment Completion and Associated Factors in Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
AU - Elvis Badianga Kumbu
AU - Simon Ilunga Kandolo
AU - Michel Kabamba Nzaji
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Infection and drug resistance
DO - 10.2147/idr.s647024
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997562
AB - 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.
SN - 1178-6973
ER -