Sunnetbai Auezov, 65, from Karakalpakstan, a republic in western Uzbekistan, has recovered from XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis).

Sunnetbai first fell ill in 1990 and relapsed in 2014. His treatment, which involved taking 15 to 17 pills daily, was challenging. “He managed at first, but later refused the pills because it was too much,” says his wife Qalligul Apseterova, 65.
In 2022, Sunnetbai’s condition worsened, and he was hospitalised in intensive care. After a year of treatment, including injections , he returned home and continued taking his medication under the Family-DOT program, which allows a family member to oversee the patient’s treatment at home.
“It makes things more convenient for patients, saving costs and ensuring they take their drugs properly,” MSF’s Dr. Roza Kazakhbaeva says.
Dr. Kazakhbaeva adds, “Sunnetbai stopped treatment three times due to severe side effects, but this time, he completed it and had a good outcome.”