Factors associated with tuberculosis reinfection and treatment failure in Taung sub-district, South Africa

The purpose of this study was to determine factors associated with TB re-infection and treatment failure in the Taung sub-district. In a cross-sectional design a questionnaire was interview-administered to 100 Regimen 2 patients systematically recruited at Taung district hospital. The results show that the combined proportion of patients who were retreated after poor compliance was 46.9% (RD=Retreatment after default: 25.5% and RI=Reinfected: 21.4%); only 3.1% were on Regimen 2 due to treatment failure, and 90.8% of the respondents were previously treated for TB after 1995. More than half (57%) were HIV positive, of which most (87.5%) had a CD4 cell counts of less than 200, 72.5% had experienced the stigma of having TB, and almost half (48%) took traditional medicines or herbs other than TB treatment. A number of factors influencing TB treatment adherence were identified including age, alcohol and tobacco use, access to health facility, family support, TB stigma and TB treatment availability which should be considered in the local TB control programme.