Haitali’s Second Chance

How a tuberculosis screening saved his life

Haitali Shukurov at his house. He maintains a positive outlook and believes in his recovery. / FHI360

Haitali Shukurov was born in Tajikistan at the Vahdat village of Khatlon Province’s Abdurahmoni Jomi District. Since childhood, he loved growing fruit and vegetables, and became interested in fishing. Over time, fishing became his main source of income, though making ends meet remained a challenge.

“It is hard to support a big family, there was always not enough income,” he explained. “We lived our ordinary life. My first wife died, and our children are already adults. They live with their families. Now I have a second family, and we are raising four children.”

In March 2022, Haitali went to prison for eight months. His already fragile health weakened during his second month of incarceration: his coughing increased, he suffered night sweats, and he rapidly began to lose weight. “Since before my imprisonment, I was being treated for pleurisy. I thought that the disease had worsened since the symptoms were similar,” recalls Haitali, who at that time had no knowledge about tuberculosis (TB).

Generally, prisoners in Tajikistan do not receive a timely diagnosis or treatment for illnesses, including TB.

TB remains one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers. Each year, approximately 10.6 million people develop TB, and nearly 1.3 million die of the disease.

Tajikistan has one of the world’s highest rates of multidrug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB, fueled by a general lack of awareness of how TB spreads and that it can be cured. The stigma that accompanies a TB diagnosis is also a major challenge in the country.

In October 2022, USAID partnered with Afif to launch the USAID End Tuberculosis Tajikistan Activity to strengthen the national TB program across the country, including vulnerable populations. Together with medical specialists from the prison system and the Tajikistan National Tuberculosis Program, USAID provided TB screenings and X-ray diagnostics in the Yovon prison, where Haitali was incarcerated.

Health care professionals review X-ray diagnostics of a patient being tested for TB in Tajikistan. / Maly Phou, FHI 360

Haitali was screened and diagnosed with pulmonary TB. This is when he received a second chance at life.

The project outreach worker enrolled Haitali in a program for early TB detection, timely treatment, and therapy. The program also addressed social, psychological, and legal issues during the period following his release from prison. The outreach worker educated him about TB, including its main symptoms, modes of transmission, preventive measures, curability, and the importance of strong adherence to treatment.

The project engages civilian and prison health officials to increase access to TB testing and care. From October to December 2023, more than 700 prisoners were screened for TB and received X-ray diagnostic testing.

“All newly diagnosed patients with TB have started TB treatment and received psychosocial support for treatment adherence,” said Saodat Oripova, Afif project manager.

Upon his release, an Afif employee escorted Haitali to his home in Vahdat village. Once home, community health workers supported Haitali by registering him at the district TB center, facilitating his repeated X-ray testing and diagnosis, and enrolling him with the Center for Social Protection of the Population to receive unemployment benefits. During the entire period of Haitali’s treatment, community health workers met with him weekly to provide psychosocial support and ensure adherence to his treatment regimen.

Haitali begins his day with a morning trip to the medical center in his village to take TB drugs in the presence of a medical professional. / FHI360

Every morning, Haitali began his day with a morning trip to the medical center in his village to take TB drugs in the presence of a medical professional. He knew that with each trip like this, he took another step towards a full recovery.

“I dreamed of a complete recovery so that when I returned home, I would not infect my children,” he says. “After each conversation with the outreach worker, I felt relief and believed that my suffering would soon end.”

Committed to honoring his second chance, Haitali completed his treatment and tested negative for TB in February 2024.

“It’s hard for me to imagine how all this would have turned out if it weren’t for the support of the Afif project staff,” he says. “I probably would never have gotten back on my feet. But now, I have plans to change my life for the better. Now I earn extra money by doing odd jobs. I will start farming on my plot, and starting from the new school year, I will send my youngest daughter to school.”

Now negative for TB, Haitali spends time with his family and is eager to send his youngest daughter to school. / FHI360

Haitali is one of many incarcerated individuals who received the second chance of a healthy, TB-free life through the support from the USAID End TB Tajikistan Activity. From January 2023 to June 2024, 7,023 new and relapse TB cases — 165 of them in the prison system — were detected through End TB Tajikistan.

USAID End TB Tajikistan Activity, implemented by FHI360, supports the National TB Program to adopt new and innovative approaches and tools across the continuum of TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The activity aims to promote science-based solutions to increase early detection of TB, prevent transmission, improve access to treatment, and to cure all forms of TB in Tajikistan.

It uses a locally led model of people- and community-centered care to reach every person with TB, which is enhanced by digital technology and strategic innovations to improve TB systems and services.

Across the globe, USAID also supports a rigorous program to build the skills and capacity of health providers, communities, and patients to understand and address treatment and care for TB and multidrug-resistant TB and in meeting the 90–90–90 prevention results framework of USAID’s Global TB Strategy (2023–2030).

In USAID’s 24 priority countries for TB programming, there has been a 55 percent reduction in TB deaths, a 25% reduction in TB incidence, and a 171% increase in TB notifications since 2000. Working with agencies and partners around the world, USAID has saved more than 75 million lives globally since 2000.

About the Author

USAID End Tuberculosis (TB) Tajikistan Activity, led by Family Health International 360 (FHI360), is supporting the National TB Program to adopt new and innovative approaches and tools across the continuum of TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.