In 2020 Caritas Tajikistan (CT) started work on its tuberculosis (TB) project in the penitentiary system (PS) of the country. Although it is the first TB project, it is not the first project realized by CT in PS. This project aims to help the medical department of PS to take control of tuberculosis disease in the system. The project works on the prevention, diagnostic, and treatment of TB with a focus on the developing capacity of the medical department to be the main partner of this project.
One of the activities of the project having a clear social character, we going to talk about here, is the social-medical follow-up of TB patients released from prison during TB treatment. The whole purpose of this activity is to ensure the uninterruptable treatment of TB patients departing PS during their treatment. The activity implies connecting such patients to the civil TB centers in their residence district; transferring anti-tuberculosis drugs, meeting with their doctors and family to make sure that patients continue the treatment; provide psychological counseling of patients and their family members to ensure adherence to the treatment, and providing possible food support as an incentive for successful treatment result. In the picture, patient X is visiting a civil TB doctor accompanied by Caritas staff after the release from the PS.
Funded by Caritas Luxembourg
