Risk Factors and Treatment Outcomes of Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis Among Patients in Oshana Region at Oshakati Hospital, Namibia

Background: Multidrug resistant tuberculosis is still a huge challenge to Tuberculosis control globally, particularly in resource limited regions of the world. Namibia still suffers these challenges in control of MDR-TB due to poor diagnostic facilities, low treatment compliance and suboptimal follow up measures.
Methods: This was a mixed-method quantitative survey study conducted at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital in September-October 2025. The research comprised of a case control study that established the risk factors of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and a retrospective cohort designed to evaluate treatment outcomes. Convenience sampling was used due to the limited number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients available. A standardized form of structured questionnaires was used for data collection from patient interviews and hospital registries. This data was then analysed descriptively with the use of tests such as Fisher’s exact and Chi-square where appropriate.
Results: The case control study contained four patients (one multidrug-resistant case and three drug susceptible controls). The case was an older married man in a rural setting and had a history of imprisonment. In the retrospective cohort (n=20) mean age was 46.4 years with males of 60%. Seventeen patients (85%) were transferred out to complete the treatment at home through a TB clinic, and three (15%) expired during the hospital stay. There were no significant associations between demographic or clinical characteristics and treatment outcome (p>0.05).
Conclusion: MDR-TB at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital is seemingly driven by social and environmental factors such as rural dwelling and imprisonment. This high percentage of patients moved out from the ward to continue treatment at home highlights that estimating treatment outcomes among those previously treated in the ward is not indicative. Improvements in Access to diagnosis, strategies for follow-up and patient tracking systems are crucial in strengthening the MDR-TB control in North Namibia

Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis, Risk factors, Treatment outcomes

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