Gaps in implementing bidirectional screening for tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus in Myanmar: An operational research study

In Myanmar from July 2018, as a pilot project in 32 townships, all tuberculosis (TB) patients aged >=40 years were eligible for diabetes mellitus (DM) screening by random blood sugar (RBS) and all DM patients attending hospitals were eligible for TB screening. We assessed the bidirectional screening coverage of target groups through a cross sectional study involving secondary analysis of routine program data. From January to March 2019, of the 5202 TB patients enrolled, 48% were aged >=40 years. Of those aged >=40 years, 159 (6%) were known to have DM, and the remaining 2343 with unknown DM status were eligible for DM screening. Of these, 1280 (55%) were screened and 139 (11%) had high RBS values (>=200 mg/dL, as defined by the national program). There was no information on whether patients with high RBS values were linked to DM care. Of the total 8198 DM patients attending hospitals, 302 (3.7%) patients were tested for sputum smear and 147 (1.7%) were diagnosed with TB. In conclusion, only half of the eligible TB patients were screened for DM and the yield of TB cases among screened DM patients was high. There is an urgent need for improving and scaling up bidirectional screening in the country.