Management of rifampicin-resistant TB: programme indicators and care cascade analysis in South Africa
BACKGROUND: Xpert^(®) MTB/RIF was expected to revolutionise the management of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) by enabling rapid and decentralised diagnosis of rifampicin (RIF) resistance.METHODS: We performed a care cascade analysis for a cohort of RR-TB patients managed under programmatic conditions. Cumulative incidences of time to completion of the RR-TB care cascade steps were estimated, reasons for delay or attrition from the cascade investigated and WHO programme indicators for monitoring…