Background
Location(s)
Ukraine
Indication(s)
Tuberculosis
Situation overview
Situation overview:
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenging global pandemic, causing approximately 2 million deaths each year according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Odesa, a city in Ukraine, has one of the highest TB burdens in Eastern Europe, characterized by a high proportion of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and low treatment success rates.
TB management is complex, and successful management requires an understanding of multiple factors, including the pathogen itself and the patient’s situation:
- Immune status
- Co-existing conditions
- Socioeconomic status and perceptions
- Community including family support and housing.
Challenge
Finding a TB treatment regimen that is acceptable to patients, given that treatment courses are very long and side effects are common, contributing to treatment interruption and failure
How we helped
We evaluated the outcomes of a pilot program implemented by Odesa to develop a patient-centered approach to TB treatment through the primary health care centers rather than the TB specialty clinics. To do this, we assessed the:
- Pre- and post-study prevalence and incidence of TB in Odesa
- Treatment success rates for individuals included in the pilot program
Outcomes
Based on the results of this pilot study, the city of Odesa decided to fund and continue this TB treatment program.
