Red Cross receives USAID $3.4 million grant to fight TB in Russia
26 November 2001

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today announced details of a three-year programme to fight tuberculosis (TB) in the Russian Federation with a grant of $3.4 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Russia.

The number of new tuberculosis cases has more than doubled in the last ten years in the Russian Federation. There are some 130,000 new TB cases and about 30,000 TB deaths each year. In prisons up to 10% of the detainees have tuberculosis.

The challenge of this programme for the Red Cross is to introduce international principles of TB Control in cooperation with national health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO). This will be a major undertaking as the focus will be on marginalised groups such as the homeless, alcoholics, prisoners and ex-prisoners.

"We believe that non-governmental organisations have a very important role to play in the control of tuberculosis in Russia. Capacity building at the regional level is one of the main objectives of this grant," said Carol Peasley, the Director of the USAID Mission in Russia.

Since the Russian Red Cross anti-tuberculosis programme began two years ago, 20,000 TB patients have had their treatment monitored by some 100 visiting nurses who also provide nutritional and social support.
"The programme will strengthen links between TB work in prisons and civil society. This is vital not only to achieve good treatment results, but also to reduce the risk of multi-drug resistant strains of the disease," explained Dr. Hakan Hellberg, TB adviser with the International Federation.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Denis McClean, Head, Media Service Tel.: + 41 22 730 4428/ + 41 79 217 3357

Christopher Black , Information Officer Tel: + 41 22 730 4377/ + 41 79 416 3881

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.