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Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in central Asia.
Helen Suzanne Cox1, Juan Daniel Orozco, Roy Male
1Médecins Sans Frontières Aral Sea Area Programme, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. hom@msfh-tashkent.uz
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|June 18, 2004
Summary
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a significant threat in Central Asia. A survey in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan found high MDR-TB rates in patients undergoing directly observed treatment, highlighting an urgent need for global action.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Global Health
Background:
- Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a critical challenge to global tuberculosis control efforts.
- The former Soviet Union, including Central Asia, is a region with a high burden of MDR-TB.
- Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) programs are a cornerstone of TB management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of MDR-TB among patients in DOTS programs in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
- To understand drug resistance patterns within these specific Central Asian regions.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted.
- Smear-positive tuberculosis patients in selected districts of Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Dashoguz (Turkmenistan) were included.
- Drug resistance levels were determined upon admission to the DOTS program.
Main Results:
- High levels of MDR-TB were detected in both Karakalpakstan and Dashoguz.
- In Karakalpakstan, 13% of new and 40% of previously treated patients had MDR-TB.
- In Dashoguz, 4% of new and 18% of previously treated patients had MDR-TB.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a substantial prevalence of MDR-TB within DOTS programs in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
- These findings underscore the urgent need for international collaboration to control MDR-TB transmission and impact.
- Strengthened interventions are required to combat the growing threat of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Central Asia.