The Training Center for Strengthening Tuberculosis Control was officially approved in March 2012; however, it has been actively operating since 1995 within the framework of the Tuberculosis Control Project and with the support of international organizations.
The core staff of the Training Center consists of:
- World Health Organization (WHO) experts
- Experienced managers in tuberculosis control
- Professional healthcare specialists
The Center’s trainers have successfully completed the TOT (Training of Trainers) course conducted by a WHO international expert and possess extensive experience in delivering training programs.
In May 2014, the Training Center obtained the status of a WHO Collaborating Center for Tuberculosis Prevention and Control in Prisons and was included in the official WHO database:
http://apps.who.int/whocc/Detail.aspx?cc_ref=AZE-1&cc_code=aze&
In May 2018, the status of the Center was extended for an additional four-year period.
The training programs are based on current WHO recommendations and reflect the key aspects of the Tuberculosis and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Control Program in penitentiary institutions.
Approximately 16 local training courses are organized annually for different target audiences:
- Non-medical personnel of the Penitentiary System
- Medical staff of peripheral healthcare institutions (primary healthcare centers)
- Medical staff of second-level healthcare institutions (general hospitals)
- Personnel of third-level healthcare institutions (specialized TB treatment facilities)
- Laboratory technicians of level 1–3 laboratories
Since 2012:
- 8 international training courses have been conducted
- 96 participants from 17 countries have attended these courses
Countries represented by international participants: Italy, Russia, South Africa, El Salvador, Philippines, Sri Lanka, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Local training activities:
- 503 physicians
- 307 paramedical staff
- 490 penitentiary service employees
- 87 physicians from medical institutions of the Ministry of Health
Target audience of the training programs:
- Doctors and paramedical staff of specialized treatment institutions (STIs)
- Non-medical personnel of STIs (administrative staff, supervisors, operational departments)
- Doctors of various specialties, paramedical staff, and laboratory technicians of penitentiary institutions
- Non-medical personnel of penitentiary services
- Employees of militarized structures of the penitentiary service
- Doctors of anti-tuberculosis medical institutions of the Ministry of Health
- Newly recruited medical staff of penitentiary institutions
- Representatives of foreign countries working in TB control in penitentiary and civilian sectors
Main training topics:
- Modern methods and principles of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment
- New WHO guidelines on tuberculosis control and their implementation
- Specific features of tuberculosis prevention, detection, and diagnosis in prisons
- Infection control measures for tuberculosis in penitentiary institutions
- Safe behavior rules for penitentiary staff when communicating with inmates
- TB/HIV and TB/Hepatitis C co-infections
- Modern laboratory diagnostic methods for tuberculosis
- Ensuring continuity of treatment for TB patients released from prisons
Training activities at the Center are conducted annually in accordance with the approved training plan.
