Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the Kharkiv Region, Ukraine

OBJECTIVE: To document the level of drug resistance in MDR-TB patients and to characterize management capacities for their medical care and MDR-TB treatment outcomes in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. This area has one of the highest frequencies of MDR-TB worldwide. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed on registry data from the regional anti-TB dispensary in Kharkiv. All microbiologically confirmed MDR-TB patients registered in 2014 were included. Diagnostic, treatment and post-treatment follow-up data were analysed. RESULTS: Of 169 patients with MDR-TB, 55.0% had pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR) or XDR resistant patterns. Rapid molecular diagnosis by GeneXpert and liquid M. tuberculosis cultures were only available for 66.9% and 56.8% of patients, respectively. Phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing (DST) for high priority TB drugs (bedaquiline, linezolid, clofazimine) were not available. DST for later generation fluroquinolones was available only in 53.2% of patients. 50.9% of patients had less than 4 drugs in the treatment regimen proven to be effective by DST. More than 23.1% of patients with MDR-TB failed their treatment and only 45.0% achieved a cure. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of MDR-TB and poor MDR-TB treatment outcomes in the Kharkiv region, is associated with substantial shortages in rapid molecular and phenotypic DST, a lack of high priority MDR-TB drugs, poor treatment monitoring and follow-up capacities.