“SHE IS LIKE MY MOTHER” - Views and experiences of DR-TB patients and their treatment supporters regarding community-based DR-TB treatment, Eswatini, 2018

Community-based DR-TB treatment is an important care model for vulnerable patients to successfully complete their treatment. In Shiselweni, it has been demonstrated that the risk of death and other unfavourable outcome had the tendency to be decreased in the community-based model utilizing CTS for treatment provision than the clinic-based, even though the patients eligible for this model would be considered at an increased risk of loss from treatment (LFT) and death in many DR-TB programmes. However, as of yet there is no evidence regarding the views and experiences of DR-TB patients, their family members, and the community treatment supporters(CTS) regarding this approach to treatment delivery.

This qualitative study was conducted to examine these experiences of patients with community-based DR-TB treatment and will provide insight into why this model is supporting patients to achieve good treatment outcomes, whether there were particular ways in which the model is supportive and whether there were any challenges and areas of potential concern or harm. Using PhotoVoice provided a platform for patients and community treatment supporters to share their experiences and to voice their opinions about community-based DR-TB treatment, through their eyes and from their perspectives. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica}