All tuberculosis patients in Tajikistan have 100% access to high-quality medications, stated Navruz Jafarov, the Head of the Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Safety, Emergency Situations, and Emergency Medical Care at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of Tajikistan, Khovar reports.
He provided an overview of the outcomes of the 7th Regional Conference on Integrated Tuberculosis Control in Central Asia, titled "Innovations and New Approaches in Tuberculosis Control," which took place in Dushanbe.
"The quality of all procured drugs is very good, and the treatment's effectiveness has reached over 90%. There is centralized procurement of anti-tuberculosis drugs through the Global Drug Facility (GDF), which, since its inception, has become a comprehensive mechanism for drug procurement and supply. It offers a unique package of services, combining strategic procurement of anti-tuberculosis drugs with market activity coordination, technical assistance, and the enhancement of tuberculosis control program capacity. This unique approach has made GDF the largest global supplier of high-quality, affordable anti-tuberculosis drugs. All countries that take on the responsibility of procuring first and second-line drugs turn to GDF not only for drugs to combat tuberculosis but also for HIV/AIDS. Even during the pandemic, there were no issues with obtaining treatment in Tajikistan," noted Navruz Jafarov.
It was also highlighted that Tajikistan has introduced innovative technologies for tuberculosis diagnosis in recent years. The implementation of technologies like "GeneXpert" and "Bactec" has revolutionized tuberculosis diagnosis, particularly in detecting drug-resistant strains.
During the concluding session of the conference, a resolution was discussed and adopted, outlining key findings and recommendations aimed at strengthening the fight against tuberculosis in the region.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 27, 2023