Project HOPE and Partners Host 3rd International Conference on Integrated Tuberculosis Control in Central Asia
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, September 14, 2018 – Project HOPE, a global health and humanitarian relief organization, and its partners—the Republic of Tajikistan Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—held the 3rd International Conference on Integrated Tuberculosis (TB) Control in Central Asia in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. This two-day event brought together over 200 government officials, policymakers, TB experts, healthcare providers, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders engaged in TB control to review progress on the objectives set forth in the World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy. Introduced in 2016, the End-TB Strategy sets targets of a 95% reduction in TB deaths and a 90% reduction in TB cases by 2035 as compared to 2015, and aims to ensure that no family is burdened with catastrophic expenses as a result of TB.
At the Conference, TB experts from Armenia, China, Denmark, Germany, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the United States have identified priorities and formulated recommendations for further action to advance the implementation of integrated and human-centered approaches in TB care and strategies for strengthened partnerships among the Central Asian countries. Other areas of focus included improved detection and treatment methods, eradication of social stigma, and the high rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which continue to be a major challenge in Central Asia and in Tajikistan.
Project HOPE supports the Ministries of Health and their National TB Program in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan through the USAID TB Control Program supported by the United States and TB control initiatives supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to reduce the burden of tuberculosis and prevent multidrug-resistant forms of the disease. The event represented one of many conferences, symposia and high-level meetings on TB control organized by Project HOPE and its partners in Central Asia and followed the 2nd International Conference on Integrated TB Control held last year in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic, and the 1st International Conference on Integrated TB Control in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
“Tuberculosis knows no borders,” noted Chris Skopec, Project HOPE’s Executive Vice President. “We are very proud to be part of the partnership to eradicate TB and I am grateful to Tajikistan’s government for its political will and to healthcare providers and outreach workers on the frontlines for their commitment and dedication in this effort.”
At the conference, the Republic of Tajikistan Deputy Minister of Health Saida Umarzoda presented Project HOPE with a certificate of appreciation for long-term cooperation in TB control and in improvement of healthcare services.
“Thanks to Project HOPE’s efforts in TB control, today, Tajikistan has the capacity for effective TB detection, treatment and prevention,” said Minister Umarzoda.
About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE is a leader in global health and humanitarian relief programs. An international nonprofit organization, we are committed to transforming lives and uplifting communities by empowering health care workers to teach and deliver innovative, lifesaving solutions, every day and in times of crisis. With programs in more than 26 countries, we work at the epicenter of today’s greatest health challenges including infectious and noncommunicable diseases; disasters and health crises; maternal, neonatal, and child health; and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. Learn more at www.projecthope.org, and follow us on Twitter @projecthopeorg.