Characteristics and factors associated with tuberculosis (TB) cases lost to follow-up (LTFU) in Namibia
| Characteristic | Total | TB treatment outcome | df | cOR (95% CI) | p-value | |
| Successful | LTFU | |||||
| All TB cases | 65 113 (100.0%) | 61 338 (94.2%) | 3775 (5.8%) | |||
| TB strategy employed | ||||||
| MTP-I | 30 771 (100.0%) | 28 766 (93.5%) | 2005 (6.5%) | 1 | 1.3 (1.2–1.4) | 0.000* |
| MTP-II | 34 342 (100.0%) | 32 572 (94.8%) | 1770 (5.2%) | 1 | ||
| Region | ||||||
| Khomas | 13 137 (100.0%) | 12 105 (92.1%) | 1032 (7.9%) | 13 | 1.1 (0.9–1.4) | 0.000* |
| Kavango West | 4572 (100.0%) | 4335 (94.8%) | 237 (5.2%) | 0.7 (0.5–0.9) | 0.410 | |
| Zambezi | 2788 (100.0%) | 2726 (97.8%) | 62 (2.2%) | 0.3 (0.2–0.4) | 0.007* | |
| Otjozondjupa | 4021 (100.0%) | 3698 (92.0%) | 323 (8.0%) | 1.1 (0.9–1.4) | 0.000* | |
| Erongo | 7852 (100.0%) | 7588 (96.6%) | 264 (3.4%) | 0.4 (0.3–0.6) | 0.340 | |
| Karas | 4122 (100.0%) | 3859 (93.6%) | 263 (6.4%) | 0.9 (0.7–1.1) | 0.000* | |
| Hardap | 2660 (100.0%) | 2522 (94.8%) | 138 (5.2%) | 0.7 (0.5–0.9) | 0.313 | |
| Kunene | 2069 (100.0%) | 1897 (91.7%) | 172 (8.3%) | 1.2 (0.9–1.5) | 0.013* | |
| Ohangwena | 6248 (100.0%) | 5903 (94.5%) | 345 (5.5%) | 0.8 (0.6–1.0) | 0.251 | |
| Omaheke | 2847 (100.0%) | 2822 (99.1%) | 25 (0.9%) | 0.1 (0.1–0.2) | 0.022* | |
| Oshikoto | 6331 (100.0%) | 5885 (93.0%) | 446 (7.0%) | 0.9 (0.8–1.2) | 0.000* | |
| Oshana | 1593 (100.0%) | 1508 (94.7%) | 85 (5.3%) | 0.7 (0.5–1.0) | 0.851 | |
| Omusati | 5650 (100.0%) | 5355 (94.8%) | 295 (5.2%) | 0.7 (0.5–0.9) | 0.042* | |
| Kavango East | 1223 (100.0%) | 1135 (92.8%) | 88 (7.2%) | 1 | 0.007* | |
| Health facility | ||||||
| Hospital | 13 334 (100.0%) | 12 348 (92.6%) | 986 (7.4%) | 2 | 1.4 (1.2–1.5) | 0.000* |
| PHC clinic | 41 454 (100.0%) | 39 240 (94.7%) | 2214 (5.3%) | 1.0 (0.9– 1–1) | 0.000* | |
| Health centre | 10 325 (100.0%) | 9750 (94.4%) | 575 (5.6%) | 1 | 0.358 | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 37 479 (100.0%) | 34 986 (93.3%) | 2493 (6.7%) | 1 | 1.5 (1.4–1.6) | 0.000* |
| Female | 27 634 (100.0%) | 26 352 (95.4%) | 1282 (4.6%) | 1 | ||
| Age years mean±sd | 1.27 | 33.5±16.9 | 33.9±16.4 | 0.000* | ||
| Age categories years | ||||||
| 0–4 | 4420 (100.0%) | 4191 (94.8%) | 229 (5.2%) | 7 | 0.9 (0.7–1.1) | 0.000* |
| 5–14 | 3901 (100.0%) | 3729 (95.6%) | 172 (4.4%) | 0.7 (0.6–0.9) | 0.202 | |
| 15–24 | 8251 (100.0%) | 7766 (94.1%) | 485 (5.9%) | 1.0 (0.8–1.2) | 0.006* | |
| 25–34 | 18 760 (100.0%) | 17 564 (93.6%) | 1196 (6.4%) | 1.1 (0.9–1.3) | 0.976 | |
| 35–44 | 15 447 (100.0%) | 14 567 (94.3%) | 880 (5.7%) | 0.9 (0.8–1.1) | 0.280 | |
| 45–54 | 7734 (0%) | 7292 (94.3%) | 442 (5.7%) | 0.9 (0.8–1.2) | 0.718 | |
| 55–64 | 3547 (100.0%) | 3355 (94.6%) | 192 (5.4%) | 0.9 (0.7–1.1) | 0.766 | |
| ≥65 | 3053 (100.0%) | 2874 (94.1%) | 179 (5.9%) | 1 | 0.429 | |
| First-line TB regimen | ||||||
| 2 HRZE/4 HRE | 49 226 (100.0%) | 46 673 (94.8%) | 2553 (5.2%) | 0.7 (0.4–1.1) | 0.000* | |
| 2 HRZES/1 HRZE/5 HRE | 10 846 (100.0%) | 9883 (91.1%) | 963 (8.9%) | 4 | 1.2 (0.8–2.0) | 0.135 |
| 2 HRZS/1 HRZ/5 HR (children) | 304 (100.0%) | 288 (94.7%) | 16 (5.3%) | 0.7 (0.4–1.4) | 0.360 | |
| 2 HRZ/4 HR (children) | 4475 (100.0%) | 4251 (95.0%) | 224 (5.0%) | 0.6 (0.4–1.1) | 0.329 | |
| Other regimens | 262 (100.0%) | 243 (92.7%) | 19 (7.3%) | 1 | 0.111 | |
| TB case registered | ||||||
| New | 53 956 (100.0%) | 51 162 (94.8%) | 2794 (5.2%) | 5 | 0.7 (0.6–0.8) | 0.000* |
| Failure | 402 (100.0%) | 370 (92.0%) | 32 (8.0%) | 1.2 (0.8–1.7) | 0.000* | |
| Other previously treated | 2769 (100.0%) | 2508 (90.6%) | 261 (9.4%) | 1.4 (1.2–1.6) | 0.465 | |
| Readmission | 842 (100.0%) | 674 (80.0%) | 168 (20.0%) | 3.3 (2.7–4.0) | 0.000* | |
| Recurrent TB | 1069 (100.0%) | 974 (91.1%) | 95 (8.9%) | 1.3 (1.1–1.6) | 0.000* | |
| Relapse | 6075 (100.0%) | 5650 (93.0%) | 425 (7.0%) | 1 | 0.029 | |
| TB case | ||||||
| New TB case | 53 956 (100.0%) | 51 162 (94.8%) | 2794 (5.2%) | 1 | 0.6 (0.5–0.6) | 0.000* |
| Previously treated | 11 157 (100.0%) | 10 176 (91.2%) | 981 (8.8%) | 1 | ||
| Pulmonary TB case | 52 454 (100.0%) | 49 345 (94.1%) | 3109 (5.9%) | 1 | 1.1 (1.0–1.2) | 0.004* |
| Extrapulmonary TB | 12 659 (100.0%) | 11 993 (94.7%) | 666 (5.3%) | 1 | ||
| Site of TB infection | ||||||
| Pulmonary | 52 273 (100.0%) | 49 165 (94.1%) | 3108 (5.9%) | 6 | 0.9 (0.6–1.2) | 0.000* |
| Lymph nodes | 1806 (100.0%) | 1732 (95.9%) | 74 (4.1%) | 0.6 (0.4–0.9) | 0.347 | |
| Meningitis | 731 (100.0%) | 680 (93.0%) | 51 (7.0%) | 1.0 (0.7–1.6) | 0.006* | |
| Miliary | 781 (100.0%) | 740 (94.8%) | 41 (5.2%) | 0.8 (0.5–1.2) | 0.928 | |
| Other sites | 3509 (100.0%) | 3295 (93.9%) | 214 (6.1%) | 0.9 (0.6–1.2) | 0.211 | |
| Pleura | 5400 (100.0%) | 515 5(95.5%) | 245 (4.5%) | 0.6 (0.4–0.9) | 0.476 | |
| Bones/joints | 613 (100.0%) | 571 (93.1%) | 42 (6.9%) | 1 | 0.011* | |
| DOTS provider | ||||||
| Guardian (relative/neighbour) | 24 974 (100.0%) | 23 482 (94.0%) | 1492 (6.0%) | 4 | 0.4 (0.3–0.6) | 0.000* |
| Workplace | 592 (100.0%) | 566 (95.6%) | 26 (4.4%) | 0.3 (0.2–0.5) | 0.000* | |
| Health facility | 22 577 (100.0%) | 21 462 (95.1%) | 1115 (4.9%) | 0.4 (0.2–0.5) | 0.000* | |
| Community health worker | 1262 (100.0%) | 1230 (97.5%) | 32 (2.5%) | 0.2 (0.1–0.3) | 0.000* | |
| Other | 295 (100.0%) | 257 (87.1%) | 38 (12.9%) | 1 | 0.000* | |
| Baseline sputum smear | ||||||
| Smear negative | 12 265 (100.0%) | 11 544 (94.1%) | 721 (5.9%) | 2 | 1.0 (0.9–1.0) | 0.005* |
| Smear positive | 30 863 (100.0%) | 29 165 (94.5%) | 1698 (5.5%) | 0.9 (0.8–1.0) | 0.282 | |
| Smear not done | 21 985 (100.0%) | 20 629 (93.8%) | 1356 (6.2%) | 1 | 0.001 | |
| Sputum not converted | ||||||
| Yes | 36 769 (100.0%) | 33 521 (91.2%) | 3248 (8.8%) | 1 | 5.1 (4.7–5.6) | 0.000* |
| No | 28 343 (100.0%) | 27 816 (98.1%) | 527 (1.9%) | 1 | ||
| Sputum smear month 2 | ||||||
| Converted to smear negative | 16 992 (100.0%) | 16 73 5(98.5%) | 257 (1.5%) | 2 | 0.1 (0.10–0.13) | 0.000* |
| Remaining smear positive | 2043 (100.0%) | 1971 (96.5%) | 72 (3.5%) | 0.3 (0.2–0.4) | 0.000* | |
| Defaulted+died+transferred+not available | 11 829 (100.0%) | 10 460 (88.4%) | 1369 (11.6% | 1 | 0.000* | |
| On ART therapy | ||||||
| No | 8276 (100.0%) | 7713 (93.2%) | 563 (6.8%) | 1 | 1.6 (1.4–1.8) | 0.000* |
| Yes | 13 793 (100.0%) | 13 184 (95.6%) | 609 (4.4%) | 1 | ||
| Exposure to IPT | ||||||
| Yes | 8713 (100.0%) | 8256 (94.8%) | 457 (5.2%) | 1 | 1.8 (0.9–3.7) | 0.096 |
| No | 272 (100.0%) | 264 (97.1%) | 8 (2.9%) | 1 | ||
| HIV CPT initiated | ||||||
| No | 4347 (100.0%) | 4103 (94.4%) | 244 (5.6%0 | 1 | 0.9 (0.8–1.1) | 0.912 |
| Yes | 19 484 (100.0%) | 18 382 (94.3%) | 1102 (5.7%) | 1 | ||
| HIV status | ||||||
| Negative | 22 719 (100.0%) | 21 752 (95.7%) | 967 (4.3%) | 2 | 0.6 (0.5– 0.6) | 0.000* |
| Positive | 22 506 (100.0%) | 21 243 (94.4%) | 1263 (5.6%) | 0.7 (0.6–0.8) | 0.000* | |
| Unknown | 4012 (100.0%) | 3713 (92.5%) | 299 (7.5%) | 1 | 0.000* | |
df: degrees of freedom; cOR: crude odds ratio; MTP: medium-term plan; PHC: primary healthcare; HRZE: isoniazid/rifampicin/pyrazinamide/ethambutol; HRE: isoniazid/rifampicin/ethambutol; DOTS: directly observed treatment short-course; ART: anti-retroviral treatment; IPT: isoniazid preventive therapy; CPT: co-trimoxazole preventive therapy. *: p<0.05.