AKIPRESS.COM - With U.S. government support, tuberculosis mortality rates in the Kyrgyz Republic dropped by over 33 percent, and incidence rates reduced by 37 percent, since 2019. In the past five years alone, the U.S. government invested more than $20 million in curing tuberculosis in the Kyrgyz Republic through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Cure Tuberculosis partnership, the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek reported.

This U.S.-Kyrgyz collaborative program resulted in faster and more accurate tuberculosis diagnosis, improved treatment success rates and patient outcomes, strengthened healthcare systems, and increased community awareness and engagement in tuberculosis control efforts.

U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Liz Zentos, Deputy Chair of the Legislative Social Policy Committee of the Jogorku Kenesh Aibek Matkerimov, Minister of Health Alymkadyr Beishenaliev, as well as other government officials, health care workers, and representatives of community-based and international organizations attended the Cure Tuberculosis partnership' national conference to review the successes of this five-year program. They discussed innovations and sustainability strategies for tuberculosis case detection, treatment, prevention, and policy reform.

“It is a collaborative effort that helped modernize tuberculosis diagnostics, improve patient-centered care, and reform the policy environment to improve tuberculosis treatment for all,” highlighted Deputy Chief of Mission Zentos.

Minister Beishenaliev reaffirmed that USAID remains a dedicated ally of the Ministry of Health in the ongoing battle against tuberculosis: “The Ministry of Health together with partners will continue to fight tuberculosis in Kyrgyzstan, develop a patient-centered model of tuberculosis care, support outpatient treatment in primary health care, introduce new diagnostic and treatment methods, develop and integrate tuberculosis information systems, and strengthen cooperation in tuberculosis prevention and care. I express my gratitude and appreciation to the United States Agency for International Development in the Kyrgyz Republic, which is one of the main partners of the Ministry of Health in the implementation of the above tasks.”

The USAID Cure Tuberculosis partnership, in close collaboration with the Kyrgyz National Tuberculosis Program, the Ministry of Health, and other Kyrgyz government partners, optimized laboratory systems, introduced advanced diagnostic technologies, and significantly reduced the time needed to receive test results, enabling patients to start treatment as early as possible. The initiative improved patient-centered care by bringing tuberculosis services closer to patients, improving the quality of treatment, incentivizing health workers to provide better care, and supporting patients to help them complete treatment. Cure Tuberculosis also helped reform policies to support stronger tuberculosis care, implemented comprehensive digitalization of tuberculosis services to streamline care and improve efficiency, and engaged communities and civil society to raise awareness about tuberculosis and support patients. Cure Tuberculosis was implemented by JSI in partnership with University Research Co., LLC (URC) and US Pharmacopeia (USP).