Understanding the perceptions of patients regarding tuberculosis (TB) will enable better design of a comprehensive, client-oriented program for the disease.
Methods:
This study was conducted district-wise across India in 2015–2016 as part of the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS).
Results:
We discovered that the prevalence of TB remains significantly high, with quite a high percentage of people being unaware of the exact cause of disease proliferation. The majority of people believed that touching or sharing utensils can be a source of TB. This perception affected the participants’ responses about seeking diagnosis and treatment. However, it is a good sign that most people knew that TB is a curable disease that can be prevented to some extent if immunization with the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is done at the correct stage. So, a large section of the population had their children vaccinated. In addition, they would go for diagnosis if they had symptoms suggestive of the disease.
Conclusion:
Findings from this study are indicative of the fact that a large population is aware that health facilities can make a significant contribution to the treatment of tuberculosis. There is a need to further investigate how this information could potentially be used to enhance early seeking of appropriate services among TB patients.
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