Confronting MDR-TB: Russia’s Burden and Global Context

Tackling drug-resistant tuberculosis has become a global challenge, with Russia ranking among the top high-burden nations after India and China. The Central Research Institute of Tuberculosis reports that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) represented 31.5% of new tuberculosis cases in 2022 and 56.9% of all TB patients. This assessment comes from Oksana Komissarova, Doctor of Medical Sciences and phthisiatrician, who serves as deputy director for scientific and therapeutic studies at the institute. Her findings underscore a persistent reality: even as progress is made, MDR-TB remains a critical driver of disease burden in Russia and beyond, demanding sustained vigilance and robust clinical strategies.