LocationsThe 24th of March marks World Tuberculosis Day, a stark reminder of the disease’s enduring global threat in millions of people worldwide.
Photo: UNDP Belarus
Over the past decade, Belarus has made remarkable progress in its fight against tuberculosis (TB). The incidence rate has decreased threefold, while mortality has plummeted by fivefold.
Today, Belarus ranks among global leaders in TB treatment coverage and effectiveness, with over 75% of patients completing treatment and more than 90% achieving full recovery.
Due to multisectoral cooperation, Belarus has become the first country in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to adopt short-course treatment regimens and rapid diagnostic tests utilizing cutting-edge medicines and technologies.
In 2022, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Country Coordinating Mechanism of Belarus helped the Health Ministry to update its clinical guidelines for diagnosing and treating tuberculosis in both adults and children. These guidelines, grounded in the latest evidence and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), also emphasize the widespread implementation of shorter, more effective treatment protocols.
Supported by UNDP, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) and in partnership with WHO, Belarus’s Ministry of Health, the Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Medical Technologies and the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Pulmonology and Tuberculosis Belarus continues to implement modern prevention and treatment approaches to transform TB prevention and treatment.
Photo: UNDP Belarus
An Integrated Path Forward
In the past, tuberculosis treatment often centered narrowly on controlling the infection itself, often overlooking the broader health context of patients. Today, physicians recognize that tuberculosis frequently co-occurs with other health conditions: HIV, diabetes, kidney liver disease, etc.
This shift has led to the adoption of an integrated approach that considers not just TB but the full spectrum of a patient’s health challenges when designing treatment plans.
At the end of 2024, Minsk hosted a specialized training program for phthisiatricians - medical practitioners focused on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis, regardless of the organs or systems it affects. The course emphasized an integrated approach to managing tuberculosis patients, including those with drug-resistant forms of the disease and latent tuberculosis infections. This holistic method, which considers the entire body in the treatment process, has proven to be particularly effective in addressing the complexities of the disease.
Photo: UNDP Belarus
This advanced training has equipped the participating phthisiatricians from all Belarus’ regions to implement more effective, personalized treatment plans tailored to the unique needs of each patient. For instance, a patient with hepatitis and tuberculosis can now receive combined therapy that combats both conditions concurrently. Similarly, those with diabetes can be treated in a way that manages their tuberculosis without exacerbating their chronic disease.
Shorter Treatment Regimens
Shorter treatment regimens are now replacing traditional protocols for drug-sensitive TB, reducing the duration from six months to four. Similarly, drug-resistant TB treatments have been shortened from 18 months to just 5.5 months. These streamlined protocols not only enhance patient adherence to treatment but also increase the likelihood of completing therapy, achieving recovery, and preventing relapse.
When selecting a treatment regimen for each patient, the WHO recommends considering potential drug interactions between TB medications and other medicines. Physicians can quickly assess the compatibility of TB drugs with other medications, minimizing risks and ensuring safer, more effective care.
Photo: UNDP Belarus
Why This Matters for Belarus?
Tuberculosis remains a significant public health challenge in Belarus, particularly in cases involving comorbidities. Each year, approximately 900 people are diagnosed with drug-sensitive TB, while another 600 face the more complex battle of drug-resistant TB. For these patients, access to personalized, high-quality treatment is critical.
Unlike drug-sensitive tuberculosis, the drug-resistant form occurs when the mycobacteria become resistant to anti-tuberculosis drugs, requiring more complex and longer treatment.
The adoption of innovative approaches to TB care is proving transformative, easing the burden on the healthcare system by reducing treatment-related complications, lowering relapse rates, and curbing the spread of infection. These benefits are especially vital for pregnant women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and those living with chronic illnesses.
A Coordinated Effort to Combat Tuberculosis
UNDP supports Belarus’s efforts to tackle TB. The country’s strategic goals are ambitious: reducing TB incidence to 19.3 cases per 100,000 people, cutting drug-resistant TB cases to 12.5 per 100,000, and lowering mortality to 2.1 cases per 100,000. A key priority is enhancing the effectiveness of treatment for drug-resistant TB, aiming for a success rate of a minimum of 79%.
To achieve these targets, in 2024, the UNDP, as the principal recipient of Global Fund grants, has provided Belarus with $1,688,966 worth of diagnostic tools, medications, and laboratory equipment.
World Tuberculosis Day serves as a reminder that defeating TB requires strong collaboration- a seamless integration of knowledge, technology, and resources across borders and disciplines.
