Browsing by Author "Appel, Kayla"

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    Access to tuberculosis care in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review
    (AOSIS (Pty) Ltd, 2025) Appel, Kayla; Nackerdien, Faeez; Christian, Carmen
    BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health issue in South Africa, a high-burden TB country. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated challenges in accessing essential TB services. This scoping review explores how access to TB care was impacted during the pandemic. AIM: This research aimed to review original studies on access to TB care in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic using a scoping review methodology. METHOD: A scoping review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Five databases were systematically searched for original peer-reviewed research published between 2020 and 2022. Data were extracted and synthesised using the Penchansky and Thomas framework of healthcare access. RESULTS: Three studies met the inclusion criteria. The review identified significant disruptions in TB service delivery during the pandemic, including reduced diagnostic capacity, healthcare facility closures and economic barriers. Patients reported delayed diagnoses and increased stigma, while healthcare workers faced resource shortages and operational challenges.