Fifth international conference
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, September 16, 2021 – The Fifth International Conference on Integrated Tuberculosis (TB) Control in Central Asia has opened in Tashkent. The three-day event is being organized by the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan and the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Phthisiology and Pulmonology, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Health Organization, KfW Development Bank and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership.
The conference is attended by over 300 healthcare professionals and specialists from Australia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United States, and Uzbekistan. The aim of the event is to enhance the government’s ability to work and provide sustainable financing for tuberculosis control programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as address the challenges of the pandemic and the fight against tuberculosis.
At the event, the U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan, Daniel Rosenblum, noted that this conference demonstrates the importance of cooperation and commitment from Central Asian governments to stop the spread of tuberculosis, a deadly but treatable disease. He expressed his appreciation for the nearly 30-year partnership between the United States and the governments of Central Asia in the fight against tuberculosis eradication. He highlighted the significant improvement in access to quality medical services as a result of their joint efforts, which has led to a substantial reduction in tuberculosis cases and deaths compared to ten years ago.
«The goal of the World Health Organization (WHO) Eliminate Tuberculosis Strategy is to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis by 50% and the number of deaths from tuberculosis by 75% by 2025, compared to 2015. The National Tuberculosis Program of Uzbekistan aims to achieve the goals set by the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. This includes paying special attention to patients with drug-resistant and childhood tuberculosis. Based on WHO recommendations, more than a dozen regulatory documents have been developed in the field of tuberculosis control. Over a hundred percent coverage of treatment for all forms of tuberculosis, including drug-resistant cases, has been achieved in all regions of the republic. This has made it possible to achieve a 90% cure rate for Tuberculosis. Currently, the Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of preventive measures in the work of medical institutions. The goal is to detect and prevent the spread of tuberculosis as early as possible, as well as to ensure universal access to diagnostics and treatment». According to Professor Nargiza Parpieva, Director of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Phthisiology and Pulmonology, this is a priority for the ministry.
Despite significant progress made by Central Asian countries in limiting the spread of tuberculosis, drug-resistant strains of the disease continue to be a priority in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, with patients’ access to tuberculosis diagnosis being reduced.
To address this challenge, the United States is collaborating with governments and other stakeholders in the region to combat the infectious disease. In Uzbekistan, for example, the joint efforts of USAID and the National Tuberculosis Program have shortened the time for diagnosing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis from 90 days to just few hours. Additionally, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on tuberculosis diagnosis, a new procedure for simultaneously testing for both tuberculosis and COVID-19 was developed.
The event is a continuation of four previous international conferences on integrated tuberculosis control, which were held with the support of USAID in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan (2019), Dushanbe, Tajikistan (2018), Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (2017), and Almaty, Kazakhstan (2016).
USAID is the leading international development organization in the world and a catalyst for positive change. To learn more about our work in Central Asia, please visit our website and Facebook page.
