A qualitative meta-synthesis of facilitators and barriers to tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria
Abstract
: Despite progress in tuberculosis (TB) control globally, TB continues to be a leading cause of death
from infectious diseases, claiming 1.2 million lives in 2018; 214,000 of these deaths were due to drug resistant
strains. Of the estimated 10 million cases globally in 2018, 24% were in Africa, with Nigeria and South Africa making
up most of these numbers.
Nigeria ranks 6th in the world for TB burden, with an estimated 4.3% multi-drug resistance in new cases. However,
the country had one of the lowest case detection rates, estimated at 24% of incident cases in 2018 - well below
the WHO STOP TB target of 84%. This rate highlights the need to understand contextual issues influencing
tuberculosis management in Nigeria. Our synthesis was aimed at synthesizing qualitative evidence on factors
influencing TB care in Nigeria.