Next-generation sequencing (NGS) machine in the MSF managed laboratory in Nukus. NGS is a new technique which allows to analyse every gene in TB bacteria DNA. This technique provides information on mutations of resistance to TB drugs.

MSF renovated and equipped a mycobacteriological laboratory biosafety level 3 in Nukus and introduced advanced rapid TB diagnostics technologies. The laboratory has the capacity for conducting culture tests, drug sensitivity tests and sputum smear quality control. The laboratory carries out the second-line drug sensitivity tests (DST). Introduction of NGS is also planned for Nukus laboratory.

Uzbekistan

MSF renovated and equipped a mycobacteriological laboratory biosafety level 3 in Nukus and introduced advanced rapid tuberculosis diagnostics technologies. The laboratory has the capacity for conducting culture tests, drug sensitivity tests and sputum smear quality control. Uzbekistan, April 2023.

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Our activities in 2025 in Uzbekistan

Data and information from the International Activity Report 2025.

115

Staff in 2025 (full-time equivalent)

€4.3 M

4.3M

expenditure in 2025

1997

Year MSF first worked in the country

MSF in Uzbekistan in 2025 In Uzbekistan, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continued to work with the Ministry of Health to improve diagnosis and treatment for people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB).

Country map for the IAR 2025.

In the capital, Tashkent, MSF concentrated on supporting diagnosis and treatment for HIV and co-infections. In June 2025, we successfully concluded our HIV outreach project, which engaged people from high-risk groups to offer testing, diagnosis, and information on infection prevention. We handed over our mobile clinic to the Ministry of Health.

In September, we ended our long-running collaboration with the Karakalpakstan Tuberculosis Programme. The closing ceremony, attended by MSF staff, national health authorities, and representatives of the expert community, marked almost three decades of joint efforts to strengthen TB care in Karakalpakstan.

Since 1998, MSF had focused on improving TB diagnosis and treatment, transforming the regional TB care system, and promoting shorter, less toxic treatment regimens. We also worked to build the capacity of local providers so that TB care continues after our departure. In addition, we handed over a state-of-the-art mycobacteriology laboratory, now one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Central Asia. This lab plays a critical role in diagnosing both drug-sensitive TB and multidrug-resistant TB, providing high-quality testing services across the region.

In April, our team travelled to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to co-host a TB workshop with the aim of accelerating the adoption, uptake, and effective implementation of the World Health Organization’s latest policies on TB diagnostics, prevention, screening, treatment, and nutrition across countries in the region with a high TB burden, including Uzbekistan.

With our two long-standing projects concluded by the end of 2025, we began looking at what medical and humanitarian needs MSF could address in Uzbekistan in the future.