In Tajikistan, 70% of the population lives in mountainous and remote areas, where reaching health services can take time. Distance can delay diagnosis and treatment, making timely access to care especially important. Gulnora’s family faced many of these challenges when tuberculosis affected her children.

When tuberculosis entered the home

Mother of four Gulnora Azimova, 34, from the small village of Sarakishti in Tajikistan once dreamt of becoming a doctor.

As a teenager studying in Dushanbe, she hoped to attend university and pursue a career in medicine. But at the age of 17, before finishing school, her parents arranged her marriage. Gulnora moved to a kishlak — a small rural village — with her husband, where she soon found herself raising four children as a housewife.

Years later, in 2017, Gulnora became closely acquainted with the healthcare system — not as a doctor, but as the mother of patients. Tuberculosis struck her family when her two young sons, Abdurakhmon, 8, and Azamjon, 6, were diagnosed with the disease.

“It was a very difficult time,” she recalls. “It took two years to go through the treatment.”

Her youngest son, Azamjon, required hospital care. The hospital was six hours away from their home, making every trip exhausting and complicated.

“My husband was working abroad to support the family,” Gulnora says. “I had to rely on my mother and relatives to take care of my other children. I also had to take my baby daughter with me to the hospital because I was breastfeeding her.”

When recovery finally began

After eight months in hospital, Azamjon was finally able to return home and continue treatment there. The medicines were provided free of charge through the national tuberculosis programme, and with the support of healthcare workers and organizations working in the field, both of Gulnora’s sons eventually recovered.

Today, she says with pride, they are healthy and active.

“My sons go to school and play sports. Azamjon practices sumo and recently won a local competition.”

Yet the medical treatment was only part of the challenge. The family also faced stigma and misunderstanding in their community.

“My children were denied education, and even relatives stopped inviting us to family gatherings,” Gulnora remembers. “People were afraid of the disease, even when doctors said my sons were no longer contagious.”

Determined to protect her children’s future, Gulnora organized a meeting with teachers and parents in the village. With the help of health workers and volunteers, the community was informed that the boys had recovered and could safely return to school.

Today, Gulnora shares her story to encourage others not to hide the disease or delay seeking care.

“Tuberculosis is treatable,” she says. “But it is important to seek treatment in time and not give up.”