Characterizing isoniazid preventive therapy uptake among people living with human immunodeficiency virus in Tanzania, a resource-constrained setting with a high tuberculosis burden: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES

Tuberculosis (TB) disease remains highly prevalent among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in Tanzania, despite the implementation of the isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) program in 2009. This study aimed to characterize the uptake of IPT in Tanzania.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Embase for potentially eligible studies published in English from inception to February 2024. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. The research articles included participants aged ≥10 years living with HIV who had started IPT as per World Health Organization recommendations. We used STATA 17.0 software for data analysis. Random-effects models were used to pool the effect estimates and account for between-study heterogeneity.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of IPT uptake was 23.61% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.00-34.83, P < 0.01). Cases of TB among those on IPT was 2.72%. The prevalence of IPT completion was 82.40% (95% CI: 50.54-99.41, P < 0.01), with a greater prevalence among women 74.42% (95% CI: 71.48-77.27, P = 0.01) and those with CD4 <350 cells/µl 52.74% (95% CI: 19.55-84.61, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The overall uptake of IPT is still low among PLHIV, but the completion rates among those taking the therapy is high. Measures are required to increase IPT uptake in this population group.