On March 12, 2015 from 12.00 to 14.00 the National TB Center with the support of USAID Quality Health Care Project and Defeat TB Project organizes a press café on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in the Kyrgyz Republic. The press café will take place in the conference hall of the business center «Maximum» (109/1 Turusbekova Street, Bishkek). The press café is a part of a month long TB awareness campaign launched in the Kyrgyz Republic on March 1, 2015 with the slogan “Together we can defeat TB!”. The campaign will culminate on the World TB Day celebrated on March 24.
The purpose of the press café is to promote a constructive dialogue between TB specialists, the government, social workers, NGOs, and international organizations involved in prevention of tuberculosis with media. The journalists will be able to learn firsthand information about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, the challenges of stigma and discrimination, and the achievements and the efforts of to counter the spread of TB in the republic. The participants will also discuss the growing number of multi-drug resistant TB cases in the country.
One of the noteworthy achievements that will be presented at the press cafe is the new outpatient model of TB treatment that was introduced in 2012 in Chui oblast with the support of the USAID Quality Health Care Project. The model demonstrated significant improvements in infection control measures that protect patients and staff in health facilities, doubling of the number of confirmed TB cases identified using new GeneXpertTM technology, faster detection of new cases of resistant forms of tuberculosis, and improved adherence to treatment among patients attending patient support groups. During the model trial period fifty-four patients in Chui Oblast completed a full treatment course in outpatient mode with 96% of the patients fully recovered.
To learn more about the press café please contact Elena Bayalinova at 0555758255.
Read more about USAID Mission Kyrgyz Republic here: www.usaid.gov/kyrgyz-republic or www.facebook.com/usaidkyrgyzrepublic
