Global Health Institute Field Scholars

Tuberculosis Awareness and Access to Tuberculosis Services among Migrants in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Samantha Huffman, Rollins School of Public Health

Ms. Huffman, a graduate student in the Hubert Department of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health, collaborated with Project HOPE to assess awareness of tuberculosis (TB) and access to TB services among labor migrants in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These two countries have some of the highest rates of TB in Central Asia, with the problem being compounded by increased migration in recent years. While the government of Kazakhstan has extended free TB services to all migrants regardless of legal status, anecdotal evidence suggests members of this community are reluctant to seek TB care.

While working with Project HOPE, Ms. Huffman conducted a qualitative research study to determine barriers to access to TB services among migrants. The study involved conducting focus group discussions with three subpopulations of migrants (external labor migrants in Kazakhstan, internl migrants in Kazakhstan, and returned Uzbek migrants in Uzbekistan) to determine their awareness of TB and access to services. She also conducted in-depth interviews with former migrant TB patients in Kazakhstan to gain more specific information about their personal experiences accessing TB services. Additionally, she interviewed health providers in Kazakhstan to determine their attitudes toward treating migrants. Ms. Huffman prepared policy recommendations based on the information she learned from the study and presented them to the Ministry of Health in Kazakhstan with the goal of improving access to TB care for migrants and decreasing the spread of the disease.

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