Investigating the Determinant of Active Tuberculosis (Tb) Epidemic Across Eastern Africa Countries

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mainly infects the lungs, kidney, spine, brain, and intestines. It is a chronic infection that has been threatening the lives of humankind for more than four millenniums spreading through the air from one person to another. Objective: The main objective of the study is to investigate the determinants of active Tuberculosis and determine the variation of the TB incidences with gender, age-groups, and countries in Eastern Africa region. Methods: The study used a descriptive correlational research design under the positivist paradigm. Secondary data of aggregated Tuberculosis cases from the WHO database was used to address the research questions. A sample size of 656 aggregated tuberculosis cases across East African region was used. Results: The result findings revealed that people at the age of 65 years and more are the most critical group of individuals susceptible to tuberculosis infection. The findings discovered that HIV patients have weaker immune system to fight diseases, seemingly, they are highly vulnerable to TB infection. Similarly, diabetic patients have a higher risk of developing tuberculosis more than smoking individual but not more than HIV patients. People who smoke are twice more likely to develop tuberculosis than undernourished individuals. However, alcohol was discovered to be less likely to expose individual to a risk of developing TB than undernourished individuals. According to the analysis Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda were the five leading countries with tuberculosis burden in East Africa in 2018. East Africa Community was the most affected region by tuberculosis, but Indian Ocean island region was least affected within East Africa region. Conclusions: The current study's findings will add knowledge to the body of literature and provide insight into the East African governments to scale up and take concrete steps to control, prevent, diagnose, and treat the Tuberculosis epidemics.