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Professor Henadz Hurevich, Director of the Republican Practical and Scientific Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus, and Head of the National TB Programme in Belarus
A crucial achievement was the implementation of DOT treatment and social support (transportation and food parcels) to ensure treatment adherence from a large proportion of patients.
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Alena Skrahina, Deputy Director on scientific issues, Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
Major TB policy documents, such as TB and MDR-TB clinical treatment guidelines and infection control guidelines, have been developed and reviewed with international assistance.
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Aksana Zalutskaya, Head of National Reference Laboratory, Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
Implementation of the recently-approved rapid diagnostic tests is one of our priorities in view of the high level of drug resistance.
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Aliaksandr Babchenok, Deputy Director on clinical issues, Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
The example of involving nurses and psychologists to work with patients to improve adherence to treatment was inspiring and we are about to start the same activities in our hospital.
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Dmitry Viatushka, Head of the MDR-TB department at the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
Now treatment for MDR-TB is well organized; patients are registered in cohorts and the board of TB experts (consilium) prescribes each treatment regimen in line with international standards.
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Valera 15 years old, Minsk, MDR-TB patient in the children’s department of the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
I remember that I fell at school while playing and had some chest pain. After a while, they made an X-ray and discovered that I had TB.
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Ekaterina 18 years old, Brest region, MDR-TB patient at the children’s department of the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
When I started the treatment, I had pains in my joints, as well as headaches and nausea, but now the symptoms are more bearable.
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Aliaksandr 24 years, Vitebsk region, patient in the MDR-TB department at the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
It is important to know that everyone can get TB and if you think you have the disease, you should not be afraid to start the treatment. You will be cured, but it takes time. You also need daily support to complete this complicated treatment.
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Liubov 29 years, Gomel region, former nurse in the oncology department, patient in the MDR-TB department of the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre for Pulmonology and TB, Minsk, Belarus
In 2009 I had a relapse and a new course of treatment that went very well at first, but after a while the symptoms came back. I have been receiving treatment from the consilium since November 2011.
