©InfoTatiana Umakakunova, 65, and her husband Vyacheslav, 62, live in an impoverished neighbourhood on the fringes of Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek.
Their home is small and basic and they have no central heating. In winter, when the snow is on the ground, it’s a struggle for Tatiana and her family to keep warm.
Tatiana says: “Last summer, both me and my husband contracted TB. We caught it from our older son, who already had it when he came back to live with us after being in prison. Our younger son was also in prison, but he died of TB before he was released.”
Red Crescent suppport
Svetlana Sooronova is one of the Kyrgyz Red Crescent nurses who visits Tatiana and her family, bringing them food parcels and providing emotional support to ensure they continue their treatment over several months. Svetlana explains: “High levels of poverty in the country mean many people can’t afford to eat well or keep their homes well heated. This affects their health and makes them vulnerable to TB.”
Tatiana says: “Since starting the treatment we’re beginning to feel better and can get out of bed. We’d like to be able to improve our living conditions but it’s difficult as we don’t have any money, and we need it for things like soap, to keep clean.
“But the support I get from the Red Crescent means a lot to me and my family. We don’t have regular work and after we’ve paid our bills we have so little money for food, so the parcel the nurse brings makes a big difference.”
Combating stigma
As well as visiting people with TB regularly to encourage them to keep up their treatment until they are cured, the Red Crescent is also addressing the issue of stigma and discrimination. It does this by raising awareness and understanding of the disease through classes in schools, leaflet distribution, campaigns and radio announcements in markets and workplaces.
Svetlana says: “In Kyrgyz society there is so much stigma associated with the disease, because people don’t realise they can protect themselves from catching it or that it’s curable. Without the support provided by this programme, I think it’s very likely Tatiana and her family would stop their treatment.”
Read Zair's story about surviving TB