Long-term survival of patients treated for tuberculosis: a population-based longitudinal study in a resource-poor setting.

Objective We assessed the long-term survival of TB patients belonging to the Saharia tribe, a high TB burden community in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, central India. Methods Population-based, longitudinal study conducted among 9,756 Saharia population in 2013, and a resurvey done 2 years later in 2015 using the same methods. The status of the individuals during resurvey was recorded as non-TB, relapse, and death. The deaths recorded in this period were used to measure the mortality among TB-affected population and the non-TB population in this cohort. Results The standardized mortality ratio for the study cohort was 122.9 per 1000 population; males had higher mortality than females (129.9 vs 96.8). The expected mortality among the non-TB population was 30.2 and the observed mortality among TB-affected population was 122.9 per 1000 population. Conclusion In the Saharia tribe, post-treatment mortality in the TB-affected population is significantly higher than in the general population. This highlights an urgent need for implemention of effective public health strategies to prevent disproportionate deaths among TB-affected individuals in resource-poor settings, and the importance of periodic follow-up of patients after cure/completion of treatment, especially in vulnerable populations.