Variables	Definitions	Data sources from which the variables were extracted
a) Description of independent variables:
Index of multiple deprivation	It is defined as the measure of deprivation. This is essentially the measure of poverty. The deprivation index and socio economic quantiles comprise a new index of multiple deprivation developed by Noble et al. (2013), according to basket of variables from South African Census 2011 and South African Index of Multiple Deprivation (SAIMD) with four domains: income and material deprivation, employment deprivation, education deprivation, and living environmental deprivation, individual or household using equal weights in terms of socio economic quantiles (SEQ): SEQ 1st = most deprived, SEQ 2 = deprived, SEQ 3 = intermediate, SEQ 4 = well off, and SEQ 5 = least deprived [10].	• Statistics South Africa. 2017. Living Conditions of Households in South Africa, Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, p.13. Available at: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0310/P03102014.pdf. • World Health Organization/World Bank Group. 2017. Tracking universal health coverage: 2017 global monitoring report. Geneva: WHO; 2017 (http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259817/9789241513555-eng.pdf, accessed 21 June 2018).
Population density	It is a measurement of the number of people in an area (Number of individuals per square kilometer). It is calculated by dividing the number of people by area.	• National Department of Health. 2017. National Indicator Data Set. Pretoria: NDoH; April 2017. • Statistics South Africa. 2019. Quarterly Employment Statistics Media Release. Available at http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12246 References.
People living in Poverty	The number of people living below US $1.90 a day according to the 2015 definition by the World Bank (this was equivalent to $1.25 a day in 2008). This new international poverty line defined in October 2015 by the World Bank represents a value below which there is absolute poverty. Poverty is state or condition in which people lacks financial resources, essentials for a minimum standard of living.	• Statistics South Africa. 2017. Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa, Report No. 02-11-02 • (2017), Pretoria: Stats SA, pp.6, 57. • The 2017 Global Monitoring Report by the WHO and the World Bank. • The 2015 Re-engineering of Primary Healthcare Strategy by the EC DoH. • The 2017 Eastern Cape Socio-economic Consultative Council (ECSECC).
Poverty gap index	The ‘poverty gap index’ takes the mean shortfall from the poverty line, and divides it by the value of the poverty line. It tells us the fraction of the poverty line that people are missing, on average, in order to escape poverty. It is simply given as the percentage of population that is below the poverty line.	• World Health Organization/World Bank Group. 2017. Tracking universal health coverage: 2017 global monitoring report. Geneva: WHO; 2017 (http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259817/9789241513555-eng.pdf, accessed 21 June 2018). • Statistics South Africa. 2017. Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa, Report No. 02-11-02 • (2017), Pretoria: Stats SA, pp.6, 57. • The 2017 Global Monitoring Report by the WHO and the World Bank. • The 2015 Re-engineering of Primary Healthcare Strategy by the EC DoH. • The 2017 Eastern Cape Socio-economic Consultative Council (ECSECC).
Supervision visit rate in primary healthcare (PHC) facilities	It is obtained by dividing the actual number of official visits performed to a PHC by a clinic supervisor to the intended number of official visits set at the beginning of the year or financial year. It aims to promote continuing improvement on the performance of health workers’ by ensuring that objectives of health programs are adequate by managing difficulties encountered by staff, motivating staff and by improving staff performance, including continuing education and planning for training.	• District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST).
PHC work load	An estimate of the patient care-related nursing workload, determined by dividing the total sum of the nursing intensity points of patients by nursing resource units of the day. Its purpose is to analyse utilisation patterns, efficiency and equity in terms of staff distribution.	• District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST). • World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 2018. Available: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/primary-health/declaration/gcphc-declaration.pdf.
PHC Expenditure per capita	It is the total amount spent per person uninsured by medical aid at PHC excluding district health management and District hospitals. It is important measure of equity in resource distribution. It is measured by dividing the total amount of money spent annually by each district by the total population in the district [11].	• District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • The 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST). • The 2015–2016 Adequacy and Efficiency in PHC Financing by the SA National Treasury and the National Treasury Report 2015/2016. • The 2017/2018 to 2019/2020 Annual Performance Plan (APP) by the SA NDoH.
Expenditure per patient day equivalent (PDE)	Expenditure per patient day equivalent is a composite process indicator that connects financial data with service-related data from the hospital admissions and outpatient records. This indicator measures how the resources available to the hospital are being spent, and is a marker of efficiency.	• District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • The 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST). • The 2015–2016 Adequacy and Efficiency in PHC Financing by the SA National Treasury and the National Treasury Report 2015/2016. • The 2017/2018 to 2019/2020 Annual Performance Plan (APP) by the SA NDoH.
Local government expenditure	A total amount of money spent on district health services per person without medical scheme coverage.	• District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • The 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST). • The 2015–2016 Adequacy and Efficiency in PHC Financing by the SA National Treasury and the National Treasury Report 2015/2016. • The 2017/2018 to 2019/2020 Annual Performance Plan (APP) by the SA NDoH.
b) Description of dependent or outcome variables:
TB death rate	It is defined as the estimated number of deaths due to TB, in one year per 100,000 populations. In this study, the obtained TB death rate was converted in proportion (%).	• The 2015 WHO End TB Strategy. • The 2014–2015 Eastern Cape Department of Health Annual Reports and TB health records from healthcare facilities in the OR Tambo district. • The 2015 Re-engineering of Primary Healthcare Strategy by the EC DoH. • District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST).
Index TB case	It is defined as the first culture-confirmed TB patient who already had at least two acid-fast bacilli (AFB)-positive smears [12]. All smear-positive pulmonary TB cases are considered as index TB cases and their contacts should be evaluated for TB. Hence, Index TB case can also be expressed as proportion (%).	• The 2015 WHO End TB Strategy. • The 2014–2015 Eastern Cape Department of Health Annual Reports and TB health records from healthcare facilities in the OR Tambo district. • The 2015 Re-engineering of Primary Healthcare Strategy by the EC DoH. • District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST).
TB treatment failure	This is a TB patient whose sputum smear or culture remained positive at 5 months or later following anti-TB treatment [12].	• District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST). • TBfacts.org. TB Statistics- incidence, prevalence, high burden, TBfacts.org, [online]. Available at www.tbfacts.org [Accessed 24 JANUARY 2021].
HIV associated TB deaths	Cases or proportion (%) of HIV-positive patients co-infected with TB (either bacteriologically confirmed or clinically diagnosed) and who died from HIV associated TB [13].	• The 2012 South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). • The 2015 Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation for collaborative TB/HIV Activities by the WHO and the Global Funds.
TB incidence	This is an estimated number of new cases of TB disease per 100,000 populations over one-year period.	• The 2015 WHO End TB Strategy. • The 2014–2015 Eastern Cape Department of Health Annual Reports and TB health records from healthcare facilities in the OR Tambo district. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST).
TB defaulter rate	It is the proportion of TB patients whose treatment was interrupted for 2 consecutive months without medical approval and their sputum remains positive [14]. Defaulter rate is measured by dividing the number of patients who defaulted TB treatment in a given year to the total number of cured patients from TB in the same year.	• The 2015 WHO End TB Strategy. • The 2014–2015 Eastern Cape Department of Health Annual Reports and TB health records from healthcare facilities in the OR Tambo district. • The 2015 Re-engineering of Primary Healthcare Strategy by the EC DoH. • District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST).
New TB smear positive cases	TB patients who have never had treatment for TB or who have taken TB drugs for less than 4 weeks whose sputum microscopy test (acid fast bacilli) is positive in at least one sputum sample [14].	• The 2015 WHO End TB Strategy. • The 2014–2015 Eastern Cape Department of Health Annual Reports and TB health records from healthcare facilities in the OR Tambo district. • The 2015 Re-engineering of Primary Healthcare Strategy by the EC DoH. • District Health Barometer 2013/14. Durban: Health Systems Trust; October 2014. • 2009–2013 District Health Barometer by the Health System Trust (HST).