Editorial
Omotowo Babatundel
Abstract
Introduction: Inadequate knowledge and practices of health workers and TB patients concerning MDR-TB may have serious health consequences and significant negative impact in the control of TB. Objective: The purpose of the study was to ascertain the knowledge, and practices of health care workers and TB patients concerning MDR-TB. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive survey was conducted by questionnaire designed precisely for the study. Data was collected from 115 health workers at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, and 120 patients from DOTS centers. Data collected included sociodemographic and professional categories, knowledge and practices concerning MDR-TB. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Statistical significance of association between variables was assessed using Chi-square test at p<0.05. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of UNTH and consent was obtained from TB patients. Results: All 115 and 120 respondents among health workers and TB patients respectively returned the completed questionnaires. Among health workers, 60 (52.2%) were females, 55 (47.8%) were males, and mean age was 38.7±11.8 years. Majority of TB patients were females 54.6%, with mean age of 32±12.6. A higher percentage 64.3% had tertiary education among health workers while only 13.5% among TB patients had tertiary education. Majority of TB patients 87.6% had no knowledge of MDR-TB, while only 35.6% of health workers had good knowledge. Category of health workers and knowledge of MDR-TB relationship was not statistically significant (X2=8.296, df=4, p=0.081), but the relationship with their practices concerning MDR-TB was statistically significant (X2=13.426, P=0.001). Practices of both health workers and TB patients towards MDR-TB were poor. Conclusion: Both knowledge and practices of health care workers and TB patients concerning MDR-TB were poor. Training on MDR-TB for health care workers and health education for TB patients should be intensified for good treatment outcomes and improvement in TB control programs generally. The microscopic organisms that cause tuberculosis (TB) can create protection from the antimicrobial medications used to fix the infection. Multidrug-safe TB (MDR-TB) will be TB that doesn't react to at any rate isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most impressive enemy of TB drugs. The 2 reasons why multidrug opposition keeps on rising and spread are bungle of TB treatment and individual-to-individual transmission. The vast majority of TB is relieved by a carefully followed, half-year sedate routine that is furnished to patients with help and management. Wrong or inaccurate utilization of antimicrobial medications, or utilization of insufficient details of medications, (for example, utilization of single medications, low-quality meds or terrible stockpiling conditions), and untimely treatment interference can cause sedate opposition, which would then be able to be transmitted, particularly in jam-packed settings, for example, jails and emergency clinics. In certain nations, it is getting progressively hard to treat MDR-TB. Treatment alternatives are constrained and costly suggested meds are not generally accessible, and patients experience numerous antagonistic impacts from the medications. Now and again much progressively serious medication safe TB may create. Widely tranquilize safe TB, XDR-TB is a type of multidrug-safe TB with extra protection from progressively against TB sedates that in this way reacts to considerably less accessible meds. It has been accounted for in 117 nations around the world. Medication opposition can be recognized utilizing uncommon research center tests which test the microscopic organisms for affectability to the medications or distinguish obstruction designs. These tests can be sub-atomic in type, (for example, Xpert MTB/RIF) or, in all likelihood culture-based. Atomic methods can give results inside hours and have been effectively actualized even in low asset settings. New WHO proposals expect to accelerate discovery and improve treatment results for MDR-TB through the utilization of a novel quick demonstrative test and a shorter, less expensive treatment routine. At not exactly US$ 1000 for every patient, the new treatment routine can be finished in 9 a year. In addition to the fact that it is more affordable than current regimens, however, it is additionally expected to improve results and possibly decline passings because of better adherence to treatment and diminished misfortune to development. The perfect number of medications required and treatment length are vital issues in the administration of multidrug-safe tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Accordingly, we read with intrigue the Article by the Collaborative Group for the Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient Data in MDR-TB treatment–2017, the aftereffects of which support our proposal, from 2015, to order against tuberculosis medicates based on their harmfulness and disinfecting or bactericidal movement. The discoveries give convincing proof on the utilization of fluoroquinolones (levofloxacin or moxifloxacin), in addition to linezolid and bedaquiline as the base for the underlying treatment of tuberculosis strains with rifampicin opposition or multidrug resistance. However, we accept that had these medications been utilized from the beginning, a portion of the discoveries of the meta-analysis, to be specific the ideal number of medications expected to treat the cases (five) and treatment span (18–20 months), would should be refined. The two outcomes were acquired in light of the fact that a large portion of the medications remembered for the regimens that had been assessed by the meta-examination have no impact on treatment outcomes, and many show poor or nil bactericidal and disinfecting activity. Two or three defenseless medications, with great bactericidal and sanitizing action, is known to be sufficient to treat practically all instances of tuberculosis, even in people with MDR-TB. Moreover, treatment length could be decreased to 9 a year if a few cleaning drugs are remembered for the regimen. Given that levofloxacin or moxifloxacin, linezolid, and bedaquiline have great bactericidal and cleaning profiles, these three medications, regulated for 9 a year, ought to hypothetically be sufficient to fix rifampicin-safe or MDR-TB. In instances of fluoroquinolone opposition, fluoroquinolone could be supplanted by clofazimine or delamanid, as both have great cleaning activity. We concur that clinical preliminaries are expected to find out the ideal mix and treatment length (since utilizing just the necessary number of medications would bring down the harmfulness and cost of regimens) and to improve treatment adherence. JAC was an individual from the Green Light Committee of WHO from 2002 to 2013, facilitator of the MDR-TB Unit of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease from 2006 to 2017, and an individual from the composing council of the WHO MDR-TB Guidelines of 2006, 2008, 2011, and 2016. We proclaim no contending interests.