Turkmenistan

The National TB Programme (NTP) of Turkmenistan has made significant progress in control of TB over the last decade, resulting in reductions in both incidence and mortality of TB. Since 2010 UNDP has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan to support the NTP by strengthening TB prevention, diagnostics, and treatment through a Global Fund grant. To date this programme has successfully treated 10,700 cases of TB.

Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is TB that does not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful anti-TB drugs. The 2 reasons why multidrug resistance continues to emerge, and spread are mismanagement of TB treatment and person-to-person transmission. In some cases, even more severe drug-resistant TB may develop. Extensively drug-resistant TB, XDR-TB, is a form of multidrug-resistant TB with additional resistance to more anti-TB drugs that therefore responds to even fewer available medicines. It has been reported in 117 countries worldwide.

1,957 MDR-TB cases were enrolled on treatment in Turkmenistan between 2013 and 2016. Treatment of extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) with “novel“ TB drugs is available since mid-2017. Ninety four percent of national tuberculosis programme needs are currently covered by the Government of Turkmenistan. Being an upper middle-income country, Turkmenistan received the Global Fund’s transitional grant for 2018-2021. This grant is the last to be funded by the Global Fund and supports the National TB Programme’s Sustainability and Transition Plan activities.