Monitoring of TB services in Osh

In May, the UNDP/Global Fund team visited Osh Oblast to monitor the effectiveness of tuberculosis control programs in the region. Medical workers have shown that the computers that were installed in PHC in 2019 to connect to an electronic database are not only constantly used, but also greatly facilitate their work. Now it has become easier for medical professionals to get information about their patients and their monthly tests, since they have access to medical history and laboratory programs.

In addition, the importance of the work done by the Plus Center, which began work in January 2021, was noticeable to help tuberculosis patients complete treatment and reduce the number of people lost for observation. They are actively looking for patients who have previously interrupted treatment to try to convince them to return to treatment or at least under observation. The organization has also begun to introduce video surveillance for the treatment of MDR-TB patients, which was previously rarely used in Osh.

However, several challenges were identified during the monitoring visit. Not all CSPs/CSMs have signed contracts with private laboratories to monitor the treatment of tuberculosis, so some patients with tuberculosis have to pay for their tests, which not everyone can afford. Another serious problem in the region is the shortage of phthisiologists, especially young specialists.