| First author [ref.] | Country | Setting | Period of data collection | Sample size n | Inappropriate TB treatment regimens | Data quality | |
| SC | TR | ||||||
| Diop [17]¶ | Kenya, Senegal | National TB programmes | 1996 | 11183 | Authors: no nationally recommended treatment regimen for 6.2% of the cases in Kenya, and 1.0% in Senegal | * | * |
| Van Zyl [30] | South Africa | Community health clinic, study in children | 1996–2003 | 99 | Authors: 4% (national guidelines) Assessed: ≥77% (WHO) | * | * |
| Salaniponi [31] | Malawi | Non-private for non-profit hospitals | 1999–2000 | 1523 | Assessed: 0% (all patients (with recurrent TB) were treated with a re-treatment regimen [2HRZES/1HRZE/5HRE]) | ** | *** |
| Harries [32] | Malawi | Public hospitals | 2001 | 1211 | Assessed: new smear-positive pulmonary TB: 0% inappropriate regimen 7% wrong number of tablets | ** | *** |
| Elmahalli [33] | Egypt | Public hospital | 2003 | 249 | Authors: type and number of prescribed drugs not conforming to DOTS recommendations: 14% in initial phase and 5% in continuation phase | ** | * |
| Lalya [34] | Benin | Hospital, study in children | 2003–2007 | 32 | Assessed: ≥10% (thioacetazone regimens) Duration too long for most children (8 months) | * | * |
SC: study characteristics; TR: treatment regimens; WHO: World Health Organization; H: isoniazid; R: rifampicin; E: ethambutol; Z: pyrazinamide; S: streptomycin. *: low quality; **: moderate quality; ***: high quality. #: general population including children; ¶: this study is also reported in table 3 (results from Nepal).