Epidemiology of tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia following the implementation of end tuberculosis strategy Analysis of the surveillance data 2015-2019

• Published in: Saudi medical journal Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 60 - 68
• Main Authors: Alawi, Maha M., Alserehi, Haleema A., Ali, Ahmed O., Albalawi, Abeer M., Alanizi, Mashael K., Nabet, Fatima M., Alkamaly, Modhi A., Assiri, Abdullah M., Jokhdar, Hani, Qutub, Mohammed O., khoja, Moahmmed A., Azhar, Esam I., Taskandi, Wael A., Sindi, Annes A., Yasir, Muhammad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saudi Arabia Saudi Medical Journal 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Care and treatment; Distribution; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Original; Retrospective Studies; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology; Statistics; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Tuberculosis - epidemiology; Tuberculosis - prevention & control; Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia; epidemiology; sentinel surveillance; drug resistance; tuberculosis
• DOI: 10.15537/smj.2024.45.1.20230424
• ISSN: 0379-5284

To analyze the evolution of tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology in Saudi Arabia in the 5 years following the implementation of the end-TB Strategy. A retrospective analysis of surveillance data, reported by the national tuberculosis control program from 2015-2019, was carried out. The annual incidence and the percentage of yearly changes were calculated and compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) milestones, which anticipate a 4-5% annual decline. Additionally, various other epidemiological indicators of TB were examined. The national TB incidence declined from 10.55% per 100,000 in 2015 to 8.76% per 100,000 in 2019, aligning with the WHO's 2019 milestone estimated between 8.59-8.96% per 100,000. While Makkah Region (40.3%) and Riyadh (24.6%) accounted for the majority of cases, Jazan region consistently exhibited the highest incidence throughout the study period. Demographic features shifted towards a younger age category, male, and native dominance. There was a consistent decrease in resistance and intermediate sensitivity to all first-line anti-TB drugs, associated with a substantial decrease in both polydrug resistance (from 4.7-1.9%; <0.001) and multidrug resistance (from 4.4-2.4%; =0.008). The figures of TB incidence TB in Saudi Arabia between 2015-2019 has met the WHO end-TB milestones, predicting successful progress toward the 2035 goal.