TB is so widely spread
among the Chechen population that it is known in Russia
as the “Chechen disease”. The extremely
effective treatment available in the West is unknown,
unavailable, or used inadequately in many former Soviet
states, including Chechnya, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
According to our informants, Dr Timur Iobidze, lung diseases
specialist and director of the Academy of Sciences clinic
in Tbilisi, and Dr Paata Aladashvili, lung diseases specialist,
Ministry of Health, as well as the British Embassy and
MSF, there are plans for a nation-wide program to fight
tuberculosis in Georgia but it will not be implemented
before several years.
The situation in Chechnya and among the Chechen refugees is many times worse
due to poor living conditions with no treatment available whatsoever.
It has been Ccharm’s long standing
goal to start a TB program for the Chechen population.
The treatment is inexpensive, effective, and simple
(for the classical strain common among Caucasians)
and can in many cases be implemented through outpatients’ programs.
Ccharm has started an experimental program in Duisi
for some twenty patients in Spring 2010. Furthermore,
we aim to:
• bring our Chechen doctor to Europe for a three
weeks training to become acquainted with Western treatment
of TB;
• begin an immunization program for all children
under the age of 5 among the refugee population;
• forward TB treatments to Chechnya
on request;
If we are successful in establishing
a flagship program in our hospital in Akhmeta it would
begin to benefit Chechnya.
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