title: Short-course tuberculosis chemotherapy in rural Somalia.
abstract: An 18-month study of tuberculosis patients treated using the 6-8-month short-course chemotherapy in Luuq district situated in the north-east of Gedo region in the south-west of Somalia is presented. From July 1994 to December 1995, 213 patients were passively identified, started on treatment and followed up. Sputum smear-positive patients were monitored using smear examination. The outcome of treatment for all patients was evaluated at the end of July 1996. An overall cure/treatment completed rate of 70% was achieved. The paper concludes that short-course chemotherapy under directly observed therapy is a useful tuberculosis control strategy, even in areas of conflict.
authors.affiliation: Luuq District Hospital, Somalia.
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Agutu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012998:Somalia; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents