2020 - 2024 | National Society of the Red Crescent in Kyrgyz Republic | $2,040,000 million
As part of this project, USAID is directly partnering with the National Society of the Red Crescent of Kyrgyzstan to support the prevention, care, and treatment of tuberculosis (TB). The project implements locally generated solutions to improve TB services, working in both community and clinical settings in Jalal-Abad, Naryn, Batken and Osh oblasts.
KEY RESULTS
Treating TB can take from several months to two years depending on the case severity. That’s why many patients struggle with staying on treatment. Since 2020, the project has managed to bring back more than 600 patients from groups that were at risk of abandoning their treatment.
Psychological support to patients from nurses and other volunteers - former TB patients - is one of the key elements of the project. In the last three years, more than 800 patients attended self-support sessions organized with support from the project.
The project specialists work in target communities to identify new TB infection cases by investigating symptoms and tracing contacts with TB patients. Since 2020, they have checked 1565 people that had TB symptoms after contacting a patient. After testing, 131 people were put on treatment after their diagnosis was confirmed.
As part of the Support to TB Patients project, RCSK is helping local governments to increase financial assistance to TB patients in their respective jurisdictions. For example, special training sessions on revising budgets for 12 local governments helped to redistribute funds. As the result, 65 patients received in-kind and financial support amounting to 158 000 KGS. Patients often lose their sources of income because of their illness or treatment process and financial and food assistance is critical for patients and their families.
The project works to inform people surrounding TB patients to help them understand the disease better and decrease the usual stigma and discrimination against patients. Standardized stigma indicators range from 0 to 50 points. A higher point correlates with a higher level of stigma. The results of the final Study demonstrate that the index value on the scale “Public attitudes towards a person with TB” was 15.7 points. It corresponds to a below average level of stigma. A 24-percent reduction in stigma and discrimination from the close environment against people with TB has been reported against baseline indicators. Hence, the indicators stated at the beginning of the Project have been exceeded. According to the project’s assessment, women are especially prone to stigma compared to men, especially from their husband’s families. Taking into account this gender-based disparity, the project pays close attention to women patients and their surrounding community.
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DURATION: January 2020 – September 2024
BUDGET: $2,040,000 million
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER: National Society of the Red Crescent in Kyrgyz Republic
KEY PARTNERS: Local governments, USAID Cure Tuberculosis Project
ACTIVITY LOCATION: Jalal-Abad, Naryn, Batken and Osh oblasts
CONTACT: Asel Toktomambetova, a.toktomambetova@redcrescent.kg
