Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Dr. Vasileios Margaritis

Abstract

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a curable and preventable disease; however, in 2015, 10.4 million people were diagnosed with TB, making it one of the top 10 causes of mortality. A major part of the TB disease burden is carried by low and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, which ranks 15th among 22 countries with a high burden of TB and multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB), important diagnostic and treatment gaps persist. This quantitative descriptive study was primarily aimed to determine levels of adherence to standardized TB laboratory procedures by calculating and reporting the number of sputum samples, and reporting valid and documented results of laboratory Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) stain tests and MDR-TB tests for each suspected TB patient at a community health center TB laboratory in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The social theory of unanticipated consequences for purposive or social action was the theoretical framework for this study. Study results revealed that the optimal number of 3 samples sputum specimens collected for each suspected TB patient was submitted only for 48.1% of the study population. Also, regarding the percentage of valid and documented results for the 3 samples when performing laboratory ZN stain tests, for each suspected TB patient, there were valid results only for 72.2%, 51.2%, and 47.5% of the study participants, respectively. Finally, the percentage of valid and documented results when performing the MDR-TB test for each suspected TB patient was only 13.6%. For all the data, WHO criteria for error/undocumented results were not met. The study will contribute to changing the way Ethiopian laboratory technicians and managers address local challenges involving TB assessment, resulting in a positive social change in TB diagnosis and treatment.

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