AKIPRESS.COM - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) handed over medical equipment to healthcare facilities in Ferghana to assist the region in its fight against tuberculosis (TB). Representatives of the USAID Mission to Uzbekistan, National Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases Center, and the Ferghana Regional Health Administration participated in the ceremony. The equipment, valued about $150,000, including electronic thermometers, stethoscopes, tonometers, and otoscopes, will help healthcare providers in the region deliver efficient and timely care, provide rapid diagnosis, and treat patients with chronic illnesses.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health, the U.S. Government, and international partners, Uzbekistan has made great strides in reducing TB cases and associated deaths. However, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) continues to be a significant issue in Uzbekistan. USAID works to reduce the TB burden in Uzbekistan and Central Asia by building local and regional capacity to improve the detection and treatment of MDR-TB.

The medical equipment was donated by a U.S. manufacturer, Welch Allyn, through USAID’s “Eliminating TB in Central Asia” project. The equipment will be delivered to the Ferghana Regional Center of TB and Lung Diseases, TB dispensaries, hospitals and outpatient facilities in Ferghana region.