Public-private mix for improved TB control in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: an assessment of its impact on case detection.

SETTING

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact on case detection of a public-private mix (PPM) project linking private providers (PPs) to the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP).

METHOD

Nine-month monitoring of referral and diagnostic data recorded in new referral forms and treatment cards for PPs and upgraded NTP registers.

RESULTS

A total of 1549 TB suspects were referred, of whom 1090 (70%) actually went to the NTP for sputum examination. A total of 569 cases were detected through referrals or notification, of whom 45% were new sputum smear-positive cases. The case detection of new sputum smear-positive cases in PPM districts increased by 18% (21/100,000, 95%CI 0-42) compared to the previous year, while a slight decrease occurred in control districts. In HCMC as a whole, case detection increased by 7% (7/100,000, 95%CI 2-11/100,000). Among sputum smear-positive cases detected in NTP through referrals from PPs, 58% defaulted before initiating treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The tendency towards increased case detection associated with this PPM indicates a potential for utilising PPs to improve case detection. However, the NTP and PPs should jointly address the problem of initial default before considering expansion of this PPM model.