Publication date: Oct 03, 2025
Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death globally, particularly in countries with high tuberculosis and HIV burdens. Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have further impacted tuberculosis outcomes. This study examines on-treatment mortality and associated risk factors in five countries. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from ASCENT cluster-randomised trials of digital adherence tools for improved adherence involving 23,799 adults with drug-sensitive tuberculosis in South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Ukraine. Analyses were conducted separately by country. Mortality rates were measured from treatment initiation to the earliest of 6 months, death, or loss to follow-up. Cox regression models (with random effects or robust standard errors for clustering) assessed the associations between mortality and HIV status, ART use, tuberculosis diagnosis type, and calendar periods (COVID-19 pandemic and conflict in Ukraine). Mortality rates ranged from 7. 6 (Ethiopia) to 23. 2 (Tanzania) and 23. 3 (Ukraine) per 100 person-years. Higher mortality was associated with: older age in all countries (age
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| 6months | adults |
| Calendar | cohort analysis |
| Philippines | drug‐sensitive tuberculosis |
| Tanzania | mortality |
| Tuberculosis | risk factors |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | Tuberculosis |
| pathway | KEGG | Tuberculosis |
| disease | MESH | cause of death |
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |
| disease | IDO | country |
| disease | MESH | death |