Abstract
Aim: Among Aotearoa New Zealand-born people with tuberculosis (TB), half are Māori. TB is preventable, and Aotearoa New Zealand has signed up to the global strategy to end the TB epidemic. TB among Māori has endured since the late 1800s and occurs in a complex political, social and wellbeing context. We aimed to review current public health practices used for contacting and following up Māori with TB and their contacts.
Methods: We undertook a retrospective case review of Māori notified with pulmonary TB (2018- 2023) in the Waikato Region. Data included TB notification, treatment start and end dates, number and type of contacts, latent TB infection (LTBI) testing, screening and support for wellbeing issues.
Results: Seventeen Māori were identified with pulmonary TB (aged 23-81 years). Sixteen started and 13 completed treatment. One died prior to formal TB notification; two died during treatment. A total of 182 contacts were identified-mostly household contacts (42%) and hospital staff (25%). Sixty-four percent (n=117) of contacts were screened for LTBI: 15 (11%) tested positive and were referred for follow-up. Health navigator support was noted for two patients only.
Conclusion: A new model of care is required for contacting and following up Māori with TB and their contacts to end the Māori TB epidemic.