Feb. 2015—Iryna*, her husband and her first healthy child were eagerly awaiting the birth of a second child until Iryna was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in April 2014. She spontaneously became a pariah in her household, and in the ensuing familial scandal, her family sent the child to live with her mother-in-law.

Many Ukrainians regard TB as a disease of the poor, and Iryna’s relatives blamed her for not protecting her own health and for endangering not only the health but the reputation of the whole family. Because the family lived in a small town, Iryna dreaded her neighbors’ reactions, expecting them to harass her and her family. She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and prepared to die at home rather than shame the family by risking being noticed by peers visiting a hospital TB ward.

Then Iryna’s doctor suggested she receive TB treatment under a new USAID Strengthening Tuberculosis Control in Ukraine project in which a nurse from the Ukrainian Red Cross Society would visit her daily to reduce the visibility of her treatment and to help her complete a full course of treatment.

“Iryna was difficult to talk to,” explained the nurse. “She was exhausted, nervous and in a state of despair.”

The objective of the USAID grant to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society is to help people in difficult circumstances undertake and complete TB treatment. With USAID support, patronage nurses visit TB patients regularly to bring them TB drugs, track their health status, offer advice and supervise their recovery. Some clients request that they meet with their assigned nurse away from their homes so that neighbors do not discover their disease.

During the program’s first six months, 96 patients who otherwise would have otherwise refused treatment completed a full course of treatment.

The efforts and strong commitment of Iryna’s nurse, in conjunction with psychotherapy, helped Iryna to gradually overcome her depression. The treatment team also helped her resuscitate relationships within her family. With time, Iryna and her husband took their child back and rented an apartment separate from her parents. Their second child was born healthy.

“On September 29 [2014], my six-month treatment ended,” Iryna says happily. “I am very grateful to USAID for the support and want to thank all those who helped me. With your support, our family remained together and fought off TB!”

The Strengthening Tuberculosis Control in Ukraine project, which runs from March 2014 through March 2017, is designed to provide 1,000 people with a full course of TB treatment who live in difficult cirumstances with a high risk of treatment failure.

*Real name withheld to protect identity.

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