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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTL #0082 0591141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281141Z FEB 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0520
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TALLINN 000082 
 
SIPDIS 
 
COPENHAGEN FOR ESTH OFFICE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SOCI TBIO KHIV TBIO EN
SUBJECT:  IMPLEMENTATION OF BERLIN DECLARATION - ESTONIA 
 
REF: STATE 6989 
 
¶1. As requested by REFTEL the following is Estonia's 
report on the status of implementation of the Berlin 
Declaration. 
 
¶2.  Estonia signed the Berlin Declaration on 
Tuberculosis on October 22, 2007.  On February 20, 2008 
the Minister of Social Affairs approved the "National 
Tuberculosis Response Strategy and Action Plan 2008- 
2012" (NTRSAP).  The NTRSAP addresses all commitments 
taken by signatories under paragraph five. 
 
¶3.  By adopting the new strategy, the Government of 
Estonia (GOE) demonstrates its political commitment to 
rein in the problem of TB in Estonia.  According to the 
NTRSAP, the GOE continues to be the main coordinator and 
financer of TB response activities in Estonia. 
Furthermore, the NTRSAP provides new approaches to fight 
against TB in Estonia, and requires that all functions 
of the existing TB response system be adequately 
implemented. 
 
¶4.  The main components of the Estonian TB Program are: 
 
a. Implementation of a directly observed treatment 
system (DOTS).  Patients take their daily medicine under 
the supervision of a nurse or social worker in a clinic 
or at patient's home, in strict accordance with the 
standardized treatment plan; 
 
b. Public procurement of TB drugs to enable access to 
free treatment for every patient; 
 
c. Public procurement of drugs to reduce the side 
effects of TB drugs and to reduce the number of drug- 
resistance patients who drop out of the treatment 
program; 
 
d. Effective TB lab services to provide accurate and 
economic microbiological TB diagnostics; 
 
e. A well-functioning TB monitoring system including 
maintenance of a TB registry that reflects the dynamics 
of TB infection rates and enables analysis of the 
effectiveness of treatment plans.  This will also help 
to ensure that patients continue to get treatment if 
they move, or are released from prison; 
 
f. Highly motivated personnel devoted to TB treatment 
and cooperation both on a national and international 
level. 
 
¶5.  The NTRSAP also focuses on possible problematic 
areas that may impede the reduction of new TB cases in 
Estonia.   The Plan would provide new measures for 
prevention and early diagnostics, such as screening of 
TB risk groups, including the homeless, the HIV positive 
population, and their close contacts.  The NTRSAP is in 
compliance with Estonia's National HIV Prevention 
Strategy for 2007-2015, and with the National Strategy 
on Drug Dependency for 2004-2012.  Further, the NTRSAP 
makes it possible to provide patients with coordinated 
treatment plans, anti-retroviral treatment and drug 
substitute treatment. 
 
PHILLIPS