Abstract
INTRODUCTION: tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major public health threats and the leading infectious disease worldwide. Assessing TB treatment outcomes and associated risk factors is crucial for effective treatment and control. This study aimed to investigate TB treatment outcomes and their related factors in Hargeisa, Somaliland. METHODS: a five-year, hospital-based retrospective study was conducted at Hargeisa TB Hospital, Somaliland, from January 1(st), 2019, to December 31(st), 2023. A total of 6127 registered patients, including only 6069 TB patients with complete information, were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics of the study participants were gathered from the TB register using a pretested structured data abstraction template. Data were entered and analyzed using R 4.2.2 software, with a p-value < 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: the overall successful treatment outcome was 81.2%. Among all TB patients, 31.9% of males and 21.8% of females completed their treatment. Younger patients (<20 years) showed a higher likelihood of success, as indicated by adjusted odds ratio (AOR= 2.89, 95% CI: 2.35-3.56), followed by patients aged 20-40 (AOR= 2.43, 95% CI: 1.98-2.98) and 40-60 (AOR= 1.54, 95% CI: 1.23-1.93). Patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) had lower odds of successful treatment compared to those with pulmonary TB (AOR= 0.75, 95% CI: 0.66-0.86). Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- negative patients were more likely to achieve a successful outcome (AOR= 2.75, 95% CI: 1.82-4.10), and the likelihood of success increased progressively over the years, with 2023 showing the highest odds (AOR= 2.66, 95% CI: 2.14-3.30). CONCLUSION: the overall treatment outcome was below the World Health Organization (WHO) target (90%). Therefore, the study recommends improvements in TB treatment strategies, focusing on at-risk groups for less treatment success, including older individuals and HIV-coinfected TB patients.