Social and behavioral risk reduction strategies for tuberculosis prevention in Canadian Inuit communities: a cost-effectiveness analysis ...

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) is an important public health problem in Inuit communities across Canada, with an annual incidence rate in 2017 that was nearly 300 times higher than in Canadian-born non-Indigenous individuals. Social and behavioral factors that are prevalent in the North, such...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Uppal, Aashna, Oxlade, Olivia, Nsengiyumva, Ntwali P, N’Diaye, Dieynaba S, Alvarez, Gonzalo G, Schwartzman, Kevin
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: My University 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-25975
https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/41753
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Summary:Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) is an important public health problem in Inuit communities across Canada, with an annual incidence rate in 2017 that was nearly 300 times higher than in Canadian-born non-Indigenous individuals. Social and behavioral factors that are prevalent in the North, such as commercial tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, food insecurity and overcrowded housing put individuals at higher risk for TB morbidity and mortality. We examined the potential impact of mitigation strategies for these risk factors, in reducing TB burden in this setting. Methods We created a transmission model to simulate the epidemiology of TB in Nunavut, Canada. We then used a decision analysis model to assess the potential impact of several evidence-based strategies targeting tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, food insecurity and overcrowded housing. We predicted TB incidence, TB-related deaths, quality adjusted life years (QALYs), and associated costs and cost-effectiveness over 20 years. All costs were ...