Adherence to Drug Regimens in Community-Based Tuberculosis Treatment Programmes for Adolescents in South Africa: A Historical Perspective

Community-based tuberculosis (TB) treatment programmes for adolescents in South Africa have been established to improve access to care and adherence to drug regimens. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. Studies published between and were included based on specific criteria related to adolescent TB treatment programmes and drug regimen adherence studies in South Africa. Adherence rates varied widely, with an average of 78% for the first six months post-treatment initiation. Factors influencing adherence included age (adolescents aged 10-15 years had lower adherence), socioeconomic status, and comorbidities such as HIV co-infection. Despite challenges, there is potential for improvement in adolescent TB treatment adherence through targeted interventions addressing identified barriers. Programmes should consider implementing educational campaigns tailored to adolescents' developmental needs, providing psychosocial support, and integrating HIV care into TB management strategies. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.