Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major public health issue in Georgia: 12 per cent of all new patients and 39 per cent of those who have previously been treated for TB have a multidrug-resistant form of the disease.

In 2016, over 150 patients in Georgia were receiving bedaquiline or delamanid as part of an improved treatment regimen for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) – the highest number supported by us in any country.

Approximately 10 per cent of MDR-TB patients have extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Current treatment outcomes for these patients are poor, notably because of the length, complexity and toxicity of existing regimens.

We started supporting the Ministry of Health in the implementation of the new drugs in 2014.