DUSHANBE, May 30, Asia-Plus — More than 5,000 tuberculosis sufferers have to date been officially registered in Tajikistan, First Deputy Tajik Health Minister, Abumuslim Temurov, announced at an international conference on global control of TB in Central Asia in Dushanbe on May 29.
According to him, the TB situation in Tajikistan may be named satisfactory because the rate of the disease in Tajikistan is 74 TB cases per 100,000 people. At the same time, Tajik health official stressed that of those registered TB sufferers in Tajikistan, practically each seventh dies of this disease. “One of the main problems facing treatment of TB in Tajikistan is shortage of skilled personnel,” noted Mr. Temurov, “At present only 170 doctors specializing in treating TB are working with medical facilities in Tajikistan.”
On DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course), a World Health Organization (WHO) scheme to standardize the detection, treatment and reporting of TB cases, Abumuslim Temurov noted that treatment for TB by this program is free of charge. A course of treatment for TB amounts US$11.00.
Tajik National TV-Prevention Program based on introduction of the DOTS strategy was adopted in 2002. The program has been designed for 2002-2010.
Temurov noted that at first the DOTS program had been launched in two pilot areas – Dushanbe and the Rudaki district, covering only 13 percent of the country’s population. At present, the DOTS program is covering more than 4.5 million people or 68.8 percent of Tajikistan’s population, according to Tajik health official. “Today the DOTS program is working 35 cities and districts and near future it is planned to be launched in the northern district of Bobojonghafurov,” Abumuslim Temurov said, adding that the DOTS program will cover the whole country in the coming years.
The program is being implemented in Tajikistan under financial support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, WHO, UNICEF, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Germany’s Development bank, Tajik-Swiss Project “Sino” and other partners.
Temurov noted that under financial support of the German Development Bank alone, medical equipment worth some Euro 2.6 million have been supplied to Tajikistan for the Republican TB-Prevention Center.
