Belarus has achieved great success in the fight against tuberculosis in the penitentiary system - A.Bruk

April 9, Orsha / Elena Prus - BELTA /. Belarus has made great strides in combating tuberculosis in the penitentiary system. This was stated today by UN/UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Belarus Antonius Broek at the opening ceremony of an information and educational center at the Republican Tuberculosis Hospital of IK-12 (Orsha), BELTA correspondent reports. This center is the only one of its kind in the penal system institutions. The renovation of the premises, as well as the equipping with equipment and office machinery, was carried out at the expense of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria within the framework of the UNDP project "Support for the State Program 'Tuberculosis' in the Republic of Belarus". About $15,000 was spent for these purposes. Morbidity and mortality in the penitentiary system in Belarus are decreasing, Antonius Broek emphasized. However, the incidence among prisoners is at least six times higher than the national average. The number of patients with multidrug-resistant forms is growing at a faster rate, and the problem of HIV-associated tuberculosis is exacerbating. The opening of the center will allow for the improvement of training for medical personnel of correctional institutions and the deepening of knowledge on all issues related to tuberculosis infection. Antonius Broek proposed involving international experts in this field in the training process and expressed his readiness to support the organization of such visits. The UNDP Representative noted that cooperation with the Belarusian penitentiary system has been actively developing since 2003, and expressed hope that this interaction will continue to strengthen. "Every person has the right to be cured," he stressed. The contribution of "prison" tuberculosis to the overall incidence in Belarus is decreasing year by year. If in 2000 this figure was 20.8%, then in 2008 it was less than 4%. In the correctional system, 1152 cases were detected in 1998 (the peak of tuberculosis incidence), and 183 cases in 2008. -0-