Turkmenistan uses new treatment regimens for tuberculosis

Experts from WHO/Europe and specialists from the Ministry met online to discuss progress in regional operational research on the introduction of fully oral mSTR for multidrug-resistant TB and rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). The WHO Country Office in Turkmenistan organized the virtual event within the framework of the biennial collaborative agreement for 2020–2021 between the Ministry and WHO/Europe.

TB control remains a top priority for Turkmenistan. The country’s national TB control programme, supported by WHO and partners, has led to positive changes in the epidemiological situation. The annual rate of new cases has decreased by 6% on average since the introduction of the MDR-TB programme.

TB control a priority

WHO/Europe’s regional initiative focuses on improving treatment success and clinical care through the introduction of mSTR for MDR/RR-TB. In the WHO European Region, 14 countries including Turkmenistan have joined the initiative, and almost 1200 patients have already started the new therapy.

“Despite the fact that therapy for drug-resistant TB still requires up to 20 months of treatment, there is the possibility of reducing this to 9 months for eligible patients under programmatic or operational research conditions,” explained Dr Askar Yedilbayev, WHO/Europe TB Team Lead. “We hope that this initiative will contribute significantly to the treatment of MDR/RR-TB in the Region and also generate evidence for further WHO recommendations on the treatment of drug-resistant TB,” he added.

WHO provides continuous support to Turkmenistan in the development of national guidelines for the treatment of TB. WHO’s involvement in these activities has helped to ensure sustainable, systematic changes with the introduction of new life-saving treatment protocols.