Russia: Despite the impressive decrease in the TB incidence over the past 20 years by almost three times (from 95/ 100.000 in 2000 to 46/ 100.000 in 2020 and preliminary figure of 31.2/ 100.000 for 2021 ) and significant success in the implementation of the WHO End TB Strategy, the epidemiological situation for TB in the country remains concerning.
In 2021, Russia was listed by the WHO as one of the 30 countries with the high burden of MDR-TB and while being removed from the list of 30 high-burden TB countries entered the list of the 30 high-burden TB/HIV co-infection countries.
MSF in collaboration with health authorities and academic partners in the Vladimir and Arkhangelsk regions aims at improving treatment for DR-TB. After several years designing the operational research study of novel all-oral short course treatment regimens for DR-TB, we started to enroll our first patients in Vladimir and Arkhangelsk in February and March 2021, respectively. By the end of 2021, the first patients completed their treatment and started the follow-up stage.
Novel all-oral short course regimens have already proven to be safe and effective. The goal of the operational research in Russia is to provide local data for future developments in TB policy in the country, while at the same time providing access for DR-TB patients to these novel all-oral short course regimes.