In September, we ended our long-running collaboration with the Karakalpakstan Tuberculosis Program. The closing ceremony, attended by MSF staff, national health authorities, and representatives from the expert community, marked almost three decades of joint efforts to strengthen TB care in Karakalpakstan.
Since 1998, MSF has focused on improving TB diagnosis and treatment, transforming the regional TB care system, and promoting shorter, less toxic treatment regimens. We have also worked to build the capacity of local providers to enable continuity of TB care after our departure. In addition, we handed over a state-of-the-art mycobacteriology laboratory, now one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Central Asia. This lab plays a critical role in diagnosing both drug-sensitive TB (DR-TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), providing high-quality testing services across the region.
In April, our team traveled to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to co-host a TB workshop aiming to accelerate the adoption, uptake, and effective implementation of the World Health Organization’s latest policies on TB diagnostics, prevention, screening, treatment, and nutrition across countries in the region with a high TB burden, including Uzbekistan.
With our two longstanding projects concluding at the end of 2025, MSF is assessing what medical and humanitarian needs we could help address in Uzbekistan in the future.
