Tuberculosis incidence decreases in Kyrgyzstan

According to preliminary data, the incidence of tuberculosis decreased last year in Kyrgyzstan, Azernews reports, 24.kg news agency.

In 2022 the incidence rate was 65.5 per 100,000 people, and in 2023 — 60 cases per 100,000. Mortality rates are also decreasing.

At the same time, the executive director of Partnership Network Association, Aibar Sultangaziev, believes that the detection of tuberculosis patients in the country has simply decreased. According to the World Health Organization, the number of such patients in the world is not particularly decreasing, but their detection has decreased after the COVID-19 epidemic, he said.

«WHO predicted that up to 1,000 people with drug-resistant tuberculosis will be detected per year in Kyrgyzstan. The National Center insisted that there would be more than 1,800 patients, the country committee expected 1,200 but the maximum is 800 detected patients. The problem is that patients are detected at late stages, with an advanced form. People do not go to medical institutions; alertness is low. Based on the symptoms, medical workers can diagnose any of the diseases, but not TB. Although the disease has not gone away. And if measures are not taken, the number will increase in any case,» Aibar Sultangaziev told 24.kg news agency.

He noted that the National Phthisiology Center plans to use the funds saved on medicines for its own needs.

«We propose to allocate money for detection, to work more with the population in the regions (screening, fluorography, diagnostics, and so on). There has been a discussion for several years about the creation of a diagnostic laboratory in the south of Kyrgyzstan, but the National Center is actively resisting this. Although calculations have already been made, the new laboratory could deal not only with tuberculosis,» added Aibar Sultangaziev.

Abdullaat Kadyrov noted that Aibar Sultangaziev has no evidence base.

«In 2019, we had 1,067 laboratory-confirmed cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis, in 2020 — 748, in 2021 — 870 and in 2022 — 936. There is no decrease, the drug-resistant form of TB is spreading all over the world. According to our forecast, in 2024 there will be 1,100 cases in the Kyrgyz Republic, and according to the WHO forecast — 1,050, the difference is only 50 cases,» the head of the center said.

He noted that from 2020 to 2022 there was an increase in the incidence of TB in the republic, which just indicates an improvement in detection.

«We are introducing innovative methods. Nine digital X-ray machines using artificial intelligence were purchased at the expense of funds from the Global Fund. We are currently training specialists and will soon start working. We plan to buy four more such devices and conduct continuous screening of the entire population in Kyrgyzstan. All tuberculosis patients are 100% provided with medicines, treatment is free, there are no problems,» Abdullaat Kadyrov said.

As for the anti-tuberculosis laboratory in Osh, he said, major repairs are currently being completed there.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health reported that this year the bed capacity of the anti-tuberculosis service in the country would be reduced by 35 percent due to a stable decrease in incidence and mortality over the past 10 years.