The Effect of Incarceration on Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in Brazil: a Retrospective Cohort Study

BackgroundTuberculosis notifications in Latin American prisons have more than doubled over the past two decades; however, treatment outcomes and their determinants among incarcerated individuals in this region are not well understood.MethodsNewly diagnosed drug-susceptible tuberculosis cases reported to Brazil’s Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) between January 2015 and December 2017 were included. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess socioeconomic and clinical factors associated with treatment success among incarcerated individuals.ResultsIncarcerated individuals (n=17,776) had greater treatment success than non-incarcerated individuals (n=160,728; 82.2% vs 75.1%, pConclusionTuberculosis treatment success among incarcerated individuals in Brazil is higher than non-incarcerated individuals, but both fall below WHO targets. Expanding the use of DOT and services for socially and medically vulnerable individuals may improve outcomes in carceral settings.