NEW YORK — Once called the breadbasket of the Soviet Union because of its rich soil and favorable climate, Ukraine is now experiencing a rapid increase in cases of tuberculosis (TB), a disease often associated with poor living conditions.
What makes this epidemic particularly serious is that the infection is resistant to several medications (Multiple Drug Resistant or MDR), and its increase parallels the spread of HIV in the country. Because of its impact, tuberculosis in the Ukraine is not only a medical problem but also a social and economic one.
According to Ivan Vasiunik, Ukraine's vice prime minister, TB rates in the country are 10 to 12 times higher than in developed countries. He stressed concern about the rate at which the disease is spreading in prisons and detention centers. By 2004, it was estimated that there were 40,000 new cases per year.