Tuberculosis Prevalence- A Contemporary Public Health Challenge and the Instituted Barriers in Presbyterian Joint Hospital Uburu, Ohaozara L. G. A. Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

A prevalence study is crucial in assessing the extent of occurrence with regard to an outbreak of a disease. High prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) has been reported in Nigeria. The study aimed at investigating the prevalence of tuberculosis reported cases from 2009-2013 and tuberculosis instituted barriers in Presbyterian Joint Hospital Uburu (PJHU) in Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State of Nigeria. Ex-post-facto research design was used for the study. The study population consisted of 675 tuberculosis reported cases from 2009-2013 in PJHU. The same number (675) was the sample size for the study. Data were collected using the researcher’s Template which was filled with information from the hospital’s records. The template consisted of four items viz: year case was reported, number of cases, gender and TB instituted barriers in PJHU. Analysis of the data showed that the prevalence of tuberculosis reported cases in 2009 was 196 (29.0%), 152 (22.5%), in 2010; 138 (20.4%) in 2011; 110 (16.3%) in 2012 and 79 (11.7%) in 2013. The results showed that the highest prevalence rate 29.0% was recorded in 2009 while the lowest prevalence rate of 11.7% was recorded in 2013. Tuberculosis instituted barriers in PJHU included isolation, safe disposal of sputum, personal hygiene and others as presented in Table 2. The Chi-square analysis of no significant difference in the prevalence of tuberculosis by gender was accepted (X² Cal 2.376 < X² Tab.3.841, df 1, P= .05). From the findings of the study males were found to be as susceptible to tuberculosis as females. It was recommended among others that teaching of tuberculosis control practices by health workers should be integrated into a wider scheme for health care education and family planning services as well as establishing Directly Observed Home Treatment Short Course (DOHTS) in order to take TB services to the door steps of TB patients.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Prevalence, Control practices, and gender.