Call for Integration of Screening of Other Respiratory Diseases of Epidemic Potential in TB Traditional Clinics

Abstract

Introduction: Medical advances in the last six decades have made tuberculosis (TB) a curable disease. We conducted a Systematic Literature Review to examine the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB programmes.

Methods: We conducted a Systematic Literature Review to examine the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB programmes. We searched online publication databases and World Health Organisation publications on the interaction of TB and COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: Our survey shows that during the period of the pandemic the world saw reversal of gains following the disruption of TB programmes. This was due to applied lockdowns and reduced financing to the programmes. During the years of the pandemic (2020 to 2021) both diseases killed comparably close to 1.5 million people each. Justifiably, priority was given to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic whose epidemiology was poorly understood. Global funding to TB control reduced while a record level of global resources ever to be allocated to one disease in a space of two years was amassed to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: Available evidence in literature show considerable disruption of well-running TB programmes when the world was affected by the pandemic. To avoid repeating similar mistakes when the world experiences another COVID-like pandemic we strongly advocate for integrating TB and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV) control programmes. This is justifiable from many reasons including the observations that both diseases 1) affect the lungs and can worsen the treatment outcomes of each other, 2) are biggest killers among unvaccinated individuals, 3) carry a similarly high very level of stigma within communities, and 4) need adequate funding to control. In addition, SARSr-CoV prevention and control can benefit from longstanding structures and patient management methods that have been built to fight TB and vice versa.