Partners gathered in Kazakhstan to review achievements and discuss next steps following the successful conclusion of a WHO-United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project, implemented in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan from 2019 to 2023.
Throughout the 4-year project, WHO and partners have provided comprehensive technical assistance to the ministries of health of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to align national policies and regulations on tuberculosis (TB) with the latest WHO recommendations on TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and people-centred care.
WHO invested in building national capacity, providing training for people working in TB management programmes and research. The implementation of regional operational research initiatives on drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) was supported at country level. The project also facilitated the introduction of innovations and scale-up of digital adherence solutions; for example, using video calls so nurses can support and monitor TB patients by video during outpatient treatment for both TB and DR-TB.
The project facilitated the introduction of programmatic breakthroughs, such as preventive treatment for TB infection and shorter regimens for DR-TB, which can rapidly further reduce the burden of disease in Central Asia and significantly reduce rates of infection. With universal access to health care, almost everyone who develops TB in Central Asia can be successfully treated and preventive treatment can be offered to those most at risk.
Ambitious milestones
TB poses a significant public health threat in many countries in the WHO European Region and is of particular concern in Central Asia. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan combined report more than 34 000 diagnoses of TB and 8000 of DR-TB annually.
Looking to the future, partners discussed the need for multisectoral action to eliminate the economic distress, stigma and discrimination often faced by those affected by TB. Such cooperation has the power to drive down the number of people developing TB infection and disease by addressing social determinants such as poverty, undernutrition, the prevalence of HIV infection, diabetes, mental health issues and smoking.
The new TB action plan for the WHO European Region, recently endorsed by Member States of the Region, has set ambitious milestones to decrease the burden of TB and DR-TB in the Region by 2030.
Building on commitments, ministries of health in Central Asian countries have a unique opportunity to address the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on national responses to TB and DR-TB, and rapidly accelerate progress towards the goals of the new action plan.
Working side by side with national health authorities, WHO and USAID will continue to provide tailored country support to Central Asian countries working towards a shared goal of eliminating all TB in the Region.