Title : Epidemiological profile of pulmonary tuberculosis in Kouto, Côte d’Ivoire, 2015–2024
Abstract:
Introduction: Côte d’Ivoire, like most sub-Saharan African countries, has a high incidence of tuberculosis. In 2023, it reported 21,458 cases with 1,717 deaths. The Kouto health district, in the Bagoué region, is no exception. However, tuberculosis data from the district have never been thoroughly analyzed. This study was conducted to verify the quality of the data and describe the tuberculosis cases.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2025. It included tuberculosis patients registered in the case reporting records of Kouto General Hospital (2015-2024). The variables studied were: age, sex, municipality, form of tuberculosis, patient type, patient outcome, follow-up examinations, and HIV test. The collected data were analyzed using Excel 2016 and Epi Info 7. The statistical measures calculated were mean, frequency, proportion, and rate. The results were presented in text, tables, graphs, and maps.
Results: A total of 166 tuberculosis patients were included, 10% of whom were HIV-positive, with a case fatality rate of 9%. The mean age was 38 years with a standard deviation of 16.57 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1.7. They were 106 males (64%) and 60 females (36%). Pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 145 cases (87%), and extrapulmonary tuberculosis for 21 (13%). Cases appeared throughout the year, with a minimum in 2015 (11 cases) and a maximum in 2017 and 2023 (23 cases). They were distributed across all municipalities of Kouto, with the majority (65 cases, 39%) in Kouto itself. The quality of all the data was assessed as good at 92.82%.
Conclusion: Tuberculosis primarily affects young men. It occurs throughout the year and in all localities of Kouto, with a high incidence in Kouto and Gbon, and in 2017 and 2023. Hence the importance of strengthening surveillance by producing quality data for decision making.
