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Diagnosis is now possible, within a few hours along with complete, quality treatment, through a project financed by Norway Grants<\/strong><\/p>\n During April, eight laboratories in Romania began the testing for rapid diagnosis of multidrug resistand and extensively resistant tuberculosis (MDR\/XDR TB). There are two laboratories in Bucharest and Cluj and six TB laboratories in Bacau, Brasov, Constanta, Craiova, Sibiu and Timisoara. The laboratories are part of the National Programme for Prevention, Surveillance and Control of Tuberculosis (PNPSCT) and receive samples for testing from all over the country.<\/p>\n The eight laboratories perform rapid diagnosis of MDR\/XDR TB, after being equipped with MGIT and LPA advanced equipment and test kits, through the project “Improving the health status of the population in Romania, by increasing TB control”, co-financed the Norway Grants 2009 – 2014. The project, in which Romanian Angel Appeal is a partner, is developed through the Public Health Initiatives Program, operated by the Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n After just a few weeks since the equipped laboratories started the work on modern equipment, 707 people with TB have benefited from the rapid testing. It is about genetic testing, in 24 or 48 hours, of the presence of the TB bacilli in sputum and its resistance to the most powerful anti-TB drugs \u2013 Isoniazid and Rifampicin. The traditional means of testing drug resistant microbe can be determined in a time of 3 to 6 months, during which the patient swallows handfuls of antibiotics who does not help him but strengthen the risk of microbe resistance.<\/p>\n “The new equipment reduces the late diagnosis of multidrug resistant tuberculosis from three months to less than one week, thus breaking the cycle of disease transmission in the community and preventing premature death of patients, while waiting for a diagnosis. Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation will still pay all the support to the National Programme for Prevention, Surveillance and Control of Tuberculosis, (including through this project) in the procurement of equipment and supplies for the laboratories, for rapid diagnosis of MDR TB, and the purchase of medicines for the correct, complete and quality treatment, motivated by the fact that this effort will undoubtedly translate into saved lives.” – Dr. Silvia Asandi, General Manager of the RAA Foundation.<\/p>\n Another series of eight rapid testing equipment (GeneXpert) and specific test kits will be purchased and installed in eight laboratories included in the project.<\/p>\n In parallel, since March, has been held the enrollment of patients with MDR\/XDR-TB to receive complete, continuous, and quality treatment. In late April, 68 patients were enrolled for treatment and other 400 cases were identified as eligible, after collecting and analyzing information received from the TB units in Bucharest and 26 counties.<\/p>\n Quality medicines to ensure full and continuous treatment are all purchased from Norwegian funds, to cover therapy to 1500 patients with resistant tuberculosis. Treatment with appropriate antibiotics, administered as early as possible and took entirely until healing, is mandatory for microbes not to gain increased resistance and TB not to become difficult or impossible to cure. That’s even more important considering the fact that a MDR TB patient that is not treated or under correct treatment (it has not been diagnosed or has been diagnosed late or not treated with proper medication) is contagious and risks to afflict others (family, colleagues, friends) and spreads a resistant bacilli.<\/p>\n Without proper treatment, the cure rate of resistant and extremely resistant tuberculosis is quite low (between 20-50%), therefore rapid diagnosis and complete treatment with appropriate anti-TB drugs are crucial for the patient’s chance at life.<\/p>\n The project “Improving the health status of the population in Romania, by increasing tuberculosis control” is based on the measures included in the National Tuberculosis Control Strategy 2013 – 2017, developed from the recommendations of WHO and ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) and its general objective is to strengthen TB control in Romania, focusing on multidrug resistant tuberculosis and extremely resistant (MDR-TB \/ XDR) and the poor and vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n