• Grace Muzanyi, David K Mafigiri, Robert Salata, Moses Joloba, Jackson Mukonzo, Mohammed Ntale, Paul Mubiri, and Godfrey Bbosa.
• Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University.
• Afr Health Sci. 2023 Dec 1; 23 (4): 212721-27.

BackgroundThe current six months regimen for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (TB) is long, complex, and requires adherence monitoring. TB hair drug level assay is one innovative approach to monitor TB treatment adherence however, its acceptability in the context of African multi-cultural settings is not known.ObjectiveTo determine the acceptability of hair harvest and testing as a TB therapeutic drug monitoring method.MethodsThe study explored perceptions, and lived experiences among TB patients with regard to using hair harvest and testing as a method of tuberculosis therapeutic drug monitoring in the context of their cultural beliefs, and faith. We used a descriptive phenomenological approach.ResultsFour main themes emerged namely: participants' perceptions about the cultural meaning of their body parts; perceptions about hair having any medical value or meaning; perceptions about hospitals starting to use hair harvest and testing for routine hospital TB treatment adherence monitoring; and perceived advantages and disadvantages of using hair for treatment adherence monitoring. Overall, we found that using hair to monitor adherence was acceptable to TB patients provided the hair was harvested and tested by a medical worker.ConclusionHair harvest for medical testing is acceptable to TB patients on the condition that it is conducted by a medical worker.© 2023 Muzanyi G et al.

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