STAFF AND PATIENT ATTITUDES TO TUBERCULOSIS AND COMPLIANCE WITH TREATMENT - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY IN A DISTRICT IN VIETNAM

Setting: The study, a collaboration between the National Tuberculosis Institute, Hanoi, Vietnam and the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sw eden, was carried out in a district of Quang Ninh Province in North Vi etnam. Objectives: To describe tuberculosis (TB) services, attitudes o f staff, and attitudes of patients considered as defaulters to TB trea tment. Design: Two focus group discussions were carried out with staff at the district hospital. Ten defaulter patients were interviewed in their homes. Results and Conclusion: This exploratory study has reveal ed some important aspects of staff and patients' attitudes to TB and i ts treatment. Tuberculosis is considered a 'dirty' disease, which main ly affects poor people. There is a tendency to avoid telling others ab out it. Obvious symptoms are explained as 'being over-worked'. A patie nt with TB feels 'less respected' by others. The social stigmatization leads to delays in seeking medical care, often only after self-medica tion: anti-tuberculosis drugs can be bought without prescription in va rious pharmacies. The patient's economic situation is also an importan t determinant of compliance and non-compliance. These factors need to be taken into consideration in TB control in Vietnam.