Prevalence, treatment outcomes and determinants of TB-HIV coinfection: a 10-year retrospective review of TB registry in Kwabre East Municipality of Ghana

Objective: To assess the prevalence, treatment outcomes and determinants of tuberculosis (TB)-HIV coinfection in Ghana.

Study design: A retrospective review of TB case register for Kwabre East Municipality was conducted for the period 2010-2020 to identify TB-HIV coinfections.

Setting: 462 patients with TB from four sub-municipal treatment centres were included in the study.

Primary outcome measure: A logistic regression model was used to investigate the relationship between clinico-demographic factors (age, sex, type of patient, disease classification, treatment category and sputum smear microscopy) and TB-HIV coinfection.

Results: Of the 462 individual TB cases found in the TB register from 2010 to 2020, 286 (61.9%) were screened for HIV and the results showed that 18% had TB-HIV coinfection. TB-HIV coinfection was highest in 2015 with a prevalence of 40% among all registered TB cases. The likelihood of TB-HIV coinfection was highest among patients with TB aged 40-49 years (AOR=3.99, CI=1.3, 12.7). Those who tested negative for TB at the end of their treatment period had lower odds of HIV coinfection (AOR=0.27, CI=0.10, 0.72).

Conclusion: Nearly one out of every five (18%) patients with TB in the municipality were found to be coinfected with HIV. TB-HIV coinfection was significantly associated with patients' age and their TB treatment outcomes. Urgent interventions are needed to address these risk factors to promote optimal health for patients with TB in the municipality.