Vladimir TB Center Opens its Doors
On October 28, 2008, USAID Mission Director Skip Waskin joined officials from the Vladimir City Administration and the Oblast Ministry of Health at the opening of a new Center of Excellence for Tuberculosis (TB) Infection Control. The TB Center in Vladimir—which is supported by the local administration, USAID, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the Global Fund—is a branch of the Russian Central TB Research Institute and will host trainings on TB infection control best practices and facility management for health professionals from across Russia.
USAID has been working on TB in Vladimir since 1998 and has helped the regional facility become a leader in infection control in Russia. The facility is equipped with an advanced ventilation system provided by USAID/CDC and international standards for handling materials and equipment to reduce infections have been put in place. The Chief TB Physician in Vladimir Oblast is now recognized as one of the leading experts on the subject, and the local Russian company contracted to install the system, Alternativa Klimat, has become the leading service provider on this issue for multiple regions.
At the opening, Dr. Irina Odintsova, Acting Director of the TB Center, announced plans to train TB health professionals not only from other regions of Russia, but also from Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus in the future.
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| Dr. Irina Odintsova, Acting Director of the Vladimir Oblast Health Department, and USAID/Russia Mission Director Skip Waskin at the opening of the Vladimir TB Center. |
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