Introduction of rapid methods of TB diagnostics will enable to avoid contamination of 50 thousand people in Ukraine

Since 2012, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation “Development of Ukraine”, within the program “Stop TB in Ukraine” ensures introduction of rapid methods of TB diagnostics pursuant to the world standards. These methods enable to reduce the time of TB diagnostics from 2 months to 1 day and improve the diagnostics quality. Thus, a patient receives accurate results of examination with the range of drug susceptibility to all anti-TB preparations.

Today, rapid methods of TB diagnostics are available in 12 regions of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Odesa, Mykolaiiv, Zaporizhzhia regions and the AR of Crimea); by 2016, the rapid methods will be introduced in all the regions of Ukraine.

In order to ensure high-quality results of diagnostics, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation provides modern diagnostics equipment and trains laboratory specialists. Thus, from December 16 to 20, 2013 training was held in Kyiv, where international experts invited by the foundation trained 25 specialists from all over Ukraine in molecular-genetic TB diagnostics.

Kristina Popova, manager in TB laboratory diagnostics of Rinat Akhmetov Foundation “Development of Ukraine” noted: “Rinat Akhmetov set a goal for his foundation: to stop the TB epidemics in Ukraine. An important step on this way is ensuring prompt and high-quality TB diagnostics. According to the official data, every year 25 thousand patients need rapid diagnostics in Ukraine. For them, it is very important to be precisely diagnosed within one day and to start treatment in time, as this is the guarantee of successful TB treatment. This is highly important for the society as well, since 25 thousand contagious patients expecting their diagnosis (during 2 months as it was before), according to the WHO data, can infect with TB 50 thousand healthy people. Prompt diagnostics enables to avoid this”.