Tuberculosis: A Crisis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that the West cannot ignore
Although new technologies are now available to diagnose Tuberculosis and test for TB drug susceptibility / resistance, the reality is that less than 50 per cent of the estimated new cases of TB are diagnosed across the region.
14 Oct 2014By Michel D. Kazatchkine
Uzbekistan is one of the high burden countries for tuberculosis globally and one of the 27 high burden countries for MDR-TB in the world. The number of new MDR-TB cases annually is close to 9000 cases, with 15 per cent of newly diagnosed TB cases being resistant to at least two conventional TB drugs.
And that is the case in almost all countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The World Health Organization's Euro Bureau reports that fifteen countries in the region are among the high burden countries for MDR-TB in the world, which leaves only very few of the countries out of that list.
Although new technologies are now available to diagnose TB and test for TB drug susceptibility / resistance, the reality is that less than 50 per cent of the estimated new cases of MDR-TB are diagnosed across the region. And only half or less of those patients in need of treatment are actually treated and cured. Those who are not treated remain contagious and they also die. This nothing short of a crisis, one we have to stop neglecting.
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