TNMU Scientist Took Part in the International Symposium on Fight against Tuberculosis

Leonid Hryshchuk, Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine Propedeutics and Phthisiology of TNMU, took part in the 14^th Scientific Symposium on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day 2021 “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB epidemiology and lessons learned”, which was held online on March 24, 2021.

The scientific symposium was organized by the Akkon University of Applied Sciences (Berlin, Germany) and the Institute for Research in International Assistance (IRIA) (Germany), represented by Professor Timo Ulrichs, the Director of the IRIA, Professor of Akkon University of Applied Sciences and Dr. Gabi Feldman, Project Coordinator and Research Fellow of the IRIA, Akkon University of Applied Sciences.

This year, World TB Day was held under the motto “It’s time to stop TB!”

The 14^th Scientific Symposium on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day 2021. «The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB epidemiology and lessons learned» was facilitated by:

The partners of the scientific symposium are: WHO-Euro, Copenhagen; Stop TB Partnership; Global TB Caucus; Friends of the GFATM Europe; National Association of Phthisiatrists, St. Petersburg, Central Tuberculosis Research Institute, Moscow, Russia; Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health, Moscow, Russia; Institutes or departments for Tuberculosis in Smolensk, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Russia; Institute for Phthisiopulmonology Chiril Draganiuc, Moldova; Institute for Tuberculosis, Tbilisi State Medical University, Georgia; Department of TB research, Ternopil National Medical University, Ukraine; Association of Medical Students in Germany (BVMD).

Professor  Andreas M. Bock (Vice President of Akkon University of Applied Sciences) welcomed the participants,

as well as Professor Helmut Hahn (Koch-Metchnikov-Forum (KMF), Berlin).

The reports from Germany, Georgia, Ukraine and other countries were presented during the symposium.

The main report was made by the professor Timo Ulrichs «Why global health aspects will become more and more important».

In particular, he focused on the urgency of TB problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. People with tuberculosis are one of the most vulnerable populations to COVID-19, with a high risk of infection and severe complicationsThe Public Health Alliance provides recommendations to international and national partners on the immediate revision of outpatient treatment protocols aimed at reducing the frequency of TB visits to TB clinics and other drug distribution points or the use of public transport due to the need to travel to health facilities, to get medicine.

The report by Professor Zaza Avaliani (National Centre for Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases of Georgia, Tbilisi) on “Epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Georgia” was very interesting.

TNMU Professor Leonid Hryshchuk reported on “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemic situation with tuberculosis in Ukraine”.

After the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, coronavirus patients were admitted to hospital treatment at TB centres that led to a reduction in inpatient beds and TB specialists as well as untimely detection of patients with active tuberculosis. It was stated that the number of patients with tuberculosis has not decreased, it simply is not being diagnosed.