Tashkent hosted an International Conference on “Achieving the UN high-level meeting commitments on tuberculosis (TB): a high-level regional dialogue in Europe and Central Asia”.

The country has achieved significant results in preventing, detecting, and treating tuberculosis. Medical institutions responsible for combating this disease have been completely reconstructed according to infection control rules and equipped with modern medical equipment.

According to the corresponding resolution of the Head of state, Schools of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease were created at multidisciplinary central clinics, where patients learn to prevent exacerbation of the disease. Vaccination of children against the disease has increased to 99.8 percent.

For the first time, within the framework of a five-level system consisting of district, city, interregional, regional, and central laboratories, 136 PCR diagnostic devices (G-Xpert) have been installed, which allows diagnosing the disease in two hours. Using local technical resources and available equipment, mobile “Lung Health” teams have been created, and a population survey has begun in seven regions. 

Over the past two years, all clinical guidelines on phthisiology have been updated considering the latest WHO recommendations, and 1,530 specialists have undergone retraining. As a result of reimbursement of expenses for retraining courses in phthisiology from the state budget, more than 300 specialists from other fields were attracted to this service. As a result of the work carried out, by 2023, the incidence rate of tuberculosis decreased by 45 percent, and the mortality rate from this disease by 87 percent.

Mukhayyo Toshqorayeva, UzA