117 5 Diabetes – Tuberculosis Care in Eswatini Contribution to the field The Collaborative framework for care and control of tuberculosis and diabetes recommended by the WHO/TB Union in 2011 has been implemented in some high TB burden countries, including India, China, and Pakistan. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), studies from Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe highlight some contextspecific challenges and opportunities that when harnessed, can improve outcomes for DM patients receiving treatment for TB and TB treatment outcomes. Our study provides evidence on the extent of integration of DM and TB care in Eswatini and highlights different health facility-specific opportunities that when optimised, can further improve TB treatment outcomes. Our findings indicate integration of DM care and TB services is achievable, and healthcare workers are aware of the advantages of integrated services but are constrained by different factors. Considering NCD cases (including DM) are increasing annually in most SSA, integrating TB and DM care will mitigate the impact of this increase on favourable TB treatment outcomes. However, multiple opportunities for improvement exist across different countries and will need to be addressed to fully maximize the benefits of integrated DM and TB care. Finally, this study provides baselines for future studies in Eswatini and other low- and middleincome countries.
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