BBC News Examines TB in Tajikistan
BBC News on Friday examined Tajikistan's tuberculosis burden, which has risen in recent years and become "one of the biggest public health problems in the country." According to a 2006 World Health Organization report, TB prevalence in Tajikistan is 204 cases per 100,000 people, compared with about 15 cases per 100,000 people in Western Europe. The country's Ministry of Health reports that 75 new TB cases occurred in 2006. Both organizations agree that the number of TB cases in the country has increased.According to aid organizations, the TB burden is especially high in Tajikistan's rural areas, where drug-resistant strains are increasing. Some cultural habits also might play a role in the spread of TB, such as sharing food from the same plate and not isolating those with the disease. Many people in rural areas cannot afford to buy medicines and nutritious food. In addition, poor household ventilation, which increases the risk of TB, is common. According to BBC News, Tajikistan's health care system has not received any major investment since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The country currently spends less than $100 per person on health care, according to WHO's 2008 World Health Report.
The German Development Bank in July 2008 granted more than $3 million to fund a TB project in Tajikistan. In addition, the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria allocated $15 million to the country between 2007 and 2012 to address TB, primarily through the country's national TB program. Saleban Omar, program manager for the United Nations Development Program, said the Global Fund has approved funding of up to $40 million to address the disease. Omar said that although international donors "can provide technical assistance and financial support," Tajikistan's government still must take action to fight TB. According to BBC News, the government is aware of the country's TB situation and is working to address the highest-burden areas and implement a program to eliminate the disease by 2010. The government also has claimed that TB mortality has declined in the country, BBC News reports (Demytrie, BBC News, 1/9). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
