African Travel Medicine | 03 August 2013
Effectiveness of Community Health Workers in Tuberculosis Case Detection in Democratic Republic of Congo Urban Slums: A Time-Frame Analysis
S, t, a, n, i, s, l, a, s, M, B, o, w, a, n, k, o
Abstract
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) urban slums face significant health challenges, including tuberculosis (TB). Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a crucial role in TB case detection. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted with CHWs in five selected urban slums. Data on TB case detection, patient demographics, and contextual factors were collected and analysed using a mixed-methods approach. CHWs detected an average of 15% more cases per month compared to the standard rate, with significant variation across different slums (p < 0.05). Community Health Workers significantly enhance TB case detection in DRC urban settings, though performance varies by location. Enhanced training and supportive supervision are recommended for CHWs to optimise their role in TB control efforts. Tuberculosis, Community Health Workers, Urban Slums, Time-Frame Analysis Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.