Abstract
Introduction
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health challenge globally and is a concern in Cambodia, particularly in Siem Reap Province. The TB Program reported that 2023 Siem Reap an estimated TB incidence rate of 40 per 100,000 people in 2022. Understanding the characteristics and treatment outcomes of TB patients is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of TB control efforts and informing future interventions aligned with the Cambodia National Strategic Plan to End TB 2021–2030 and the WHO End TB Strategy. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic characteristics and treatment outcomes of TB patients reported in Siem Reap Province in 2022.
Methods
A retrospective study was conducted using secondary data from the TB Management Information System (TB-MIS) for TB cases registered in Siem Reap Province from January to December 2022. After the data were cleaned for eligibility, a total of 2244 out of 2249 records were retained. The descriptive analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel, focusing on patient demographics, age, sex, TB type, bacteriological confirmation, and treatment outcomes.
Results
A mean age of the notified TB patients was 51.2 years. Children aged ≤ 14 years accounted for approximately 1% of the sample, and this proportion gradually increased with age. Most notified TB patients were men (59.3%), and the highest number of notified TB patients were aged 55–64 years (24.2%), followed by those aged ≥ 65 years (22.1%). In terms of site distribution, Siem Reap OD accounted for 45.3%, followed by Sotnikum OD (23.3%), Angkor Chum OD (20.7%), and Krolanh OD (10.7%). Pulmonary TB was the predominant form (83.2%), and 63.5% of the cases were bacteriologically confirmed. Close to 98.8% were new cases, and most (92.1%) were treated with the category 1a regimen (adult) for a total of 6 months, in which 2 months were an attack phase including rifampicin (R), isoniazid (H), pyrazinamide (Z), and ethambutol (E) (2RHZE), followed by 4 months of the continued phase with rifampicin and ethambutol (4RH). The treatment success rate was 92.4%, with a cure rate of 46.0% and a treatment completion rate of 46.6%. However, among new pulmonary bacteriologically confirmed cases, the cure rate was 73.5%.
Conclusion
The study demonstrated a high treatment success rate, highlighting the effectiveness of the TB control program in Siem Reap Province. However, gender-specific outreach and improved diagnostic capabilities are needed to further optimize TB case detection and management. Integrating childhood TB data from SRP pediatric hospitals, particularly Kantha Bopha Hospital, into TB-MIS would enhance surveillance. The findings provide essential evidence for public health strategies to strengthen TB control efforts in Siem Reap Province, supporting Cambodia’s efforts to achieve the Cambodia National Strategic Plan to end TB 2021--2030 and the WHO’s End TB Strategy goals.