On December 5-6, 2018, representatives from Uzbekistan joined colleagues from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan at the 4th High-Level Regional Meeting on “Migration and Tuberculosis (TB): Cross-Border TB Control and Care in the Central Asian Region” in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria supported the participation of representatives from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health, the National TB Center, and the Ministry of Labor’s Agency for External Labor Migration, as well as chief physicians from regional TB hospitals.
During the meeting, government agencies, national TB programs, migration services, experts from international organizations, and representatives from civil society organizations, reviewed the results of the previous year Action Plan and shared their knowledge and best practices for continued multilateral cooperation and improved TB detection and treatment among labor migrants. Participants also identified next steps for implementing a United Nations General Assembly resolution on ending TB in the Central Asia region.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of a resolution and recommendations for improving TB control in Central Asia, fighting stigma, ensuring better TB education for migrants, and improving the exchange of information between governments and international agencies. The resolution will be sent to the all government entities engaged in regional migration issues. Following the meeting, participants will develop an Action Plan and Roadmap for the next year for coordinating regional efforts.
The United States, through the USAID TB Control Program, works with the Government of Uzbekistan to limit the spread and reduce the burden of TB, especially multidrug-resistant forms of the disease. The five-year, $7.6 million USAID TB Control Program supports the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan in implementing the National Tuberculosis Program through modernization of laboratories, improved access for patients to TB detection and treatment, training of healthcare providers, improved quality of TB services, and support for patients and their families.
