Tuberculosis prevention activities will continue

There has been a 30% decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis in the republic over the past four years. The statistics are as follows: 536 new cases of the disease were detected in 2016, 510 cases in 2017, in 2018 - 405, in 2019 - 380. Mortality from tuberculosis has halved compared to 2016. The number of cases among children and adolescents is growing. There is a state program for 2016–2020 for the prevention of tuberculosis in the republic. Last year, its funding was increased, making it the first time that everything needed to operate microscopy centers in cities to detect the early stage of the disease was purchased. Respirators were purchased for the personal protection of employees of the Microscopy Centers, bacteriological laboratories and hospitals. This reduces risk of TB infection among healthcare professionals.

The current tuberculosis prevention program ends on December 31 this year. The Ministry of Health has submitted a draft of the next five-year program to the Supreme Council. The deputies adopted the document in the first reading.

The amount of funding for the program until 2025 is almost 98 million rubles: over 39 million from the republican budget, and approximately 59 million from grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Compared with the current program, the next one is for 2021–2025 - an increase in funding (by 65%) for treatment, diagnostic and preventive measures is envisaged. The draft program proposes to pay attention to informing the population for the prevention of tuberculosis. These are media appearances, social advertising, placement of banners reminding of the need to undergo a fluorographic examination once a year.

Among the tasks stipulated by the program is to complete the construction of an unfinished building under the ANO "Eurasian Integration", located next to the Republican Tuberculosis Hospital in Bendery. It is planned in the institution to reconstruct the central building . It is necessary to open a “closed” department for patients with contagious (active) tuberculosis who shy away from treatment and pose a danger to healthy people, the draft program notes.

The Parliamentary Committee on Social Policy and Health will continue to work on the law-in-draft to prepare for the adoption of the document in the second reading.