Tuberculosis in Paraguay: Epidemiological Characterization and Provisional Treatment Outcomes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66476/mf.v3n2.7416Keywords:
tuberculosis, epidemiological monitoring, HIV coinfection, treatment outcome, ParaguayAbstract
Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health problem in Paraguay. We aimed to describe case-finding indicators, the territorial distribution of notifications, treatment outcomes and diagnostic indicators of TB in Paraguay according to official 2026 records available in September 2026.
Materials and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional observational study based on aggregated secondary data from the Expert System of the National Tuberculosis Control Program (SEPNCT). Absolute and relative frequencies and cumulative notification rates per 100,000 population were calculated using National Institute of Statistics population projections. Treatment outcomes were considered provisional when the cohort had not been closed.
Results: A total of 27,771 presumptive TB cases were identified, of whom 88.0% were examined, and 3,289 TB cases were notified (national cumulative rate: 50.9 per 100,000). Notifications reached 53.8% of the annual programmatic target (6,111 cases). The highest notification rates were observed in Capital (238.3), Concepción (119.4) and Boquerón (95.1 per 100,000). In the published treatment cohort (n = 104; open cohort, treatment start period not specified), provisional treatment success was 58.7% (95% CI: 49.0–67.6), loss to follow-up 21.2% and death 9.6%; these values were not compared with the 90% target, which is defined for closed cohorts. The source reports treatment success percentages by subgroup without the number of patients, so they were not interpreted. There were 18,065 rapid molecular tests, 2,573 chest radiographs read with artificial intelligence support and 11 rifampicin-resistant/multidrug-resistant TB cases.
Conclusions: Records show heterogeneous notification across regions and provisional treatment outcomes estimated in a small, open cohort, which do not allow assessment of the international target or comparison across subgroups. The aggregated and provisional nature of the data does not allow causal inference; analyses of closed cohorts using individual-level data are needed.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Cristian Armando Gauto Martínez, Alma Graciela González de Lamas, Freddy Arturo Benítez Villalba, Oscar Darío Aquino Martínez, Rubén Darío Ibarrola Valenzuela, Héctor Adrián Franco, Antonella Eunice Antico, Mirna Duarte, Miguel Almeida Viana Neto, Marcos Felipe, Noelia Teresa Pérez Sosa
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