BISHKEK, 18 November, 2014 at 10:00 am. Closeout ceremony for TB CARE I project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will take place at Ak-Keme hotel in Bishkek. Representatives of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, the National TB Program, the country’s penitentiary system, the heads of TB organizations and sanitary-epidemiological service, and representatives of international and non-profit organizations will participate in the ceremony.

The goal of the TB CARE I project in the Kyrgyz Republic was to update existing regulatory framework and current practices on TB detection and treatment in accordance with modern approaches based on evidence and international standards by 2014.

The fight against tuberculosis (TB) in Central Asia remains a priority for governments and international organizations. According to the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) report, in 2013 alone 9 mln people contracted TB and 1.5 mln people died from TB globally, even though the disease is curable. Given that the estimated TB mortality rate in 2012 was 1.3 mln, the 2013 numbers raise a great concern and demonstrate that TB can become the most deadly infectious disease in the world.

A special concern is the spread of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), a form of the disease that is resistant the anti-TB drugs which can occur when these drugs are misused or mismanaged. In 2013, MDR-TB was detected in almost half a million people in the world. The Kyrgyz Republic belongs to the countries with high MDR-TB burden. In 2013, 5,710 new TB cases were detected in the Kyrgyz Republic, among them 1,160 MDR-TB cases.

USAID TB CARE I supported the development of the National Program Tuberculosis IV for 2013-2016, Plan of laboratory services, Guidelines on maintenance of laboratory equipment and plan for TB activities monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the project helped develop strategy for using GeneXpert, a modern technology that allows diagnosing MDR TB much faster and with greater degree of accuracy. TB CARE I also assisted with the introduction of the international standards of infection control to the country’s TB care facilities and provided them with modern infection control equipment. The project also conducted three operational research studies on the risks of late diagnosis which helped improve research skills of the local experts. Three hundred key staff of the National TB Program and the sanitary-epidemiological service were trained on the updated regulatory documents and the new guidelines developed by TB CARE I. The project also conducted regular monitoring visits and on-job trainings to support the implementation of the approved guidelines. TB CARE I also helped strengthen collaboration between the penitentiary system and the country’s TB service.

Dr. Abdullat Kadyrov, Director of the National TB Center mentioned “USAID TB CARE I project provided great support in updating the regulatory framework and introducing new practices to the TB care in the Kyrgyz Republic. Today it is impossible to effectively fight against TB without help of partners.”

Mass media representatives are invited to stay for the press conference that will take place at 12.00-12.30, 18 November. The event will take place at the conference room of “Ak-Keme” hotel: 93, Mira Avenue, Bishkek.