TB-Free Central Asia Initiative signed in Astana

The declaration led by the WHO Regional Office for Europe in partnership with the five Central Asian nations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, calls for accelerated tuberculosis elimination, including drug-resistant TB, across the subregion by 2030.

We stand at a pivotal moment in ending TB in Central Asia, where we must build on our gains and take up truly amazing advances in medicine to propel us towards the finish line. This landmark subregional initiative will serve as a model for other countries both in the WHO European Region and beyond that are facing a significant or growing TB burden, providing opportunities for cross-border collaboration at a time when it’s needed more than ever, said Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

Dr. Hans Kluge said that TB rates are on decline in all countries of Central Asia, urging to implement innovative approaches relying on WHO recommendations.

New anti-TB drugs, recommended by the WHO for all countries, including Central Asia, are being development and will be available in all the five nations, said Dr. Askar Yedilbayev, WHO/Europe Regional Advisor for TB/DR-TB, adding that these new anti-TB drugs are included in national protocols of the Central Asian countries.

According to Kazakh Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova, over 35,000 TB and around 8,000 DR-TB cases are recorded annually in Central Asia.

The TB-Free Central Asia Initiative (CAI) provides for a shared Central Asia vision, coordinated efforts, advanced technologies, investments in people and political will, said the Kazakh minister.

Alnazarova noted that the initiative addresses real challenges, including health, social, economic and migration ones, promotes regional unity as a single community as well as is sustainability-oriented.

Four of the five Central Asian countries are among the top 30 high-burden DR-TB nations worldwide. Three CA nations have DR-TB rates exceeding 50% among previously treated patients and range from 26% to 34% among new patients, contributing to a quarter of the global DR-TB burden.

According to WHO/Europe, the TB-Free Central Asia Initiative (CAI) will entail:

• ensuring at least 95% of new and relapsed TB cases are tested using WHO-recommended rapid diagnostic tests; all 5 countries in the subregion have transitioned to using these rapid tests;
• scaling up of shorter oral-only treatment regimens for DR-TB, ensuring a treatment success rate of 85% or higher;
• accelerating the distribution and uptake of new and innovative TB vaccines, when they become available;
• embedding TB control and treatment into the primary health care systems of each country, with the WHO European Centre for Primary Healthcare in Almaty, Kazakhstan, playing a crucial leadership role.

As earlier reported, India is set to eliminate tuberculosis by the end of 2025.