Quality of Tuberculosis Services Assessment in Uganda: Report on Qualitative Findings

Author(s): Herbert Muyinda, Stavia Turyahabwe, Kola Oyediran, Bruce Kirenga, Nikki Davis, Jeanne Chauffour, Esther Buregyeya, Winters Muttamba, Linda Ruvwa

Year: 2020

Abstract:

This report describes findings of a qualitative study on tuberculosis (TB)-related stigma among community members from two regions in Uganda. This research is part of a broader Quality of Tuberculosis Services Assessment (QTSA) conducted in Uganda in 2019 by MEASURE Evaluation, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Uganda National TB and Leprosy Programme (NTLP), and implemented by Makerere Lung Institute—a local research organization at Makerere University’s College of Health Sciences that was contracted by MEASURE Evaluation. 

Stigma is a recognized challenge affecting prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care of infectious diseases, including TB. Stigma is a complex social construct shaped by inadequate knowledge and information about modes of transmission, care, and prevention and is exacerbated by the inadequate availability of TB services and low-quality services, especially in rural areas.

This qualitative study explored community-level knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of TB-related stigma to inform the NTLP to design interventions to improve TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in Uganda. The study had the following objectives: (1) assess the causes of TB-related stigma; (2) document the manifestations of stigma; (3) determine the perceived effects of stigma on treatment-seeking behavior; and (4) provide evidence-based recommendations to address stigma and discrimination toward people with TB at the community level.

The quantitative findings from the QTSA in Uganda are described in a separate report, available here: https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/publications/tr-20-398

The QTSA tools adapted for use in Uganda are available here: https://www.measureevaluation.org/resources/publications/tl-20-79/  

QTSA documents for other countries are available here: https://www.measureevaluation.org/our-work/tuberculosis/quality-of-tb-services-assessments