Tuberculosis preventive treatment preferences among care givers of children in Lesotho: a pilot study

B A C K G R O U N D: Shorter-duration regimens for preventing drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) have been shown to be safe and efficacious in children, and may improve acceptability, adherence, and treatment completion. While these regimens have been used in children in low TB burden countries, they are not yet widely used in high TB burden countries. S E T T I N G: Five health facilities in one district in Lesotho, a high TB burden country. O B J E C T I V E: Assess the preventive treatment preferences of care givers of child TB contacts. D E S I G N: Qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews with 12 care givers whose children completed preventive treatment, and analyzed using grounded theory. F I N D I N G S: Care givers were interested in being involved in the children’s treatment decisions. Pill burden, treatment duration and related frequency of dosing were identified as important factors that influenced preventive treatment preferences among care givers. C O N C L U S I O N: Understanding care giver preferences and involving them in treatment decisions may facilitate efforts to implement successful preventive treatment for TB among children in high TB burden countries.