Almaty, March 18, 2014: Today top health officials in Kazakhstan came together to address the major health challenges of tuberculosis and HIV in the country. USAID supported this roundtable, called  “Access to TB diagnostics and treatment for people living with HIV”.

The thirty five participants of the round table included the Deputy Head of the Almaty Department of Health Care, representatives from Almaty Institute of Advanced Learning for Doctors, the Republican and Almaty AIDS Center, the National TB Center, representatives from the primary health care system (city polyclinics) as well as representatives from international and non-governmental organizations. The participants discussed problems and obstacles associated with timely detection of tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV  The roundtable discussions led  to a resolution document to improve health system approaches to these diseases.

Tuberculosis remains a serious health challenge in Kazakhstan. Despite recent progress in reducing overall TB rates, Kazakhstan faces a significant threat from drug-resistant TB strains.  According to the World Health Organization, Kazakhstan is among the 18 countries with high burden of TB in the World Health Organization EURO Region. Stigma towards TB patients remains high and public awareness of TB issues remains low. Other factors contributing to this problem within the country include a lack of access among most-at-risk populations to quality TB prevention and treatment services, as well as socioeconomic disadvantages of these populations.

USAID supported this roundtable through two different projects, the Dialogue on HIV and TB Project, and the Quality Health Care Project. The Dialogue on HIV and TB Project provides technical assistance, training, and direct outreach services to increase access to quality HIV and TB prevention and treatment services among six most-at-risk populations in pilot sites of the five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

USAID is the leading American government agency building social and economic prosperity with the people of Central Asia.