Treatment success and mortality among people with multi-drug resistant and rifampicin resistant-tuberculosis on bedaquiline-based regimen at three referral hospitals in Uganda: A retrospective analysis

The treatment success among people with MDR/RR-TB on a bedaquiline-based regimen was relatively high. High AST levels and alcohol consumption are associated with a lower treatment success. There is a need to strengthen psychosocial support regarding the harmful effects of alcohol consumption and its interaction with drugs, including routine monitoring of liver function to enhance the TB treatment success.Our study is the first to describe treatment success among people with MDR/RR-TB in three large hospitals in Uganda, this provides a good picture of treatment success among people with MDR/RR-TB on bedaquiline-based regimens in the country. The weaknesses are the smaller sample size, we analyzed data spanning a relatively shorter period, and alcohol use was measured by self-reporting, this might have underestimated its association with treatment success.