Ukraine abandons Mantoux test - how will tuberculosis be detected in the future
Kyiv • UNN
Starting in April 2026, all regions will begin transitioning to IGRA and new skin tests. These methods are more accurate than Mantoux and do not produce false positives due to BCG.
Starting in April, Ukraine will begin a phased transition from the Mantoux test to new methods of tuberculosis detection, including the gamma-interferon release assay and new skin tests. This was announced by Volodymyr Kurpita, Director General of the Public Health Center, as reported by UNN.
Details
According to him, Ukraine is already widely implementing modern methods of tuberculosis diagnosis.
The gamma-interferon release assay, or IGRA, allows for more effective detection of tuberculosis infection, especially in children, than the Mantoux test.
He clarified that, starting in April 2026, the program for transitioning to new approaches to tuberculosis diagnosis will launch in all regions of the country.
How tuberculosis infection is detected in Ukraine and the world
The Public Health Center explains that currently, three main methods are used to detect tuberculosis infection:
- Mantoux test;
- gamma-interferon release assay;
- new skin tests.
The latter are similar to Mantoux in terms of administration but are closer to IGRA in terms of specificity.
The latter is a laboratory blood test that allows for highly accurate determination of the presence of tuberculosis infection.
The PHC emphasizes that this test does not give false-positive results due to previous BCG vaccination, while the Mantoux test, on the contrary, can give such reactions.
At the same time, the PHC emphasizes that the detection of tuberculosis infection is not equivalent to the diagnosis of active tuberculosis. For the primary detection of active disease in Ukraine, molecular genetic methods are used, in particular Xpert MTB/RIF, which are provided for by the Ministry of Health standards.
How tuberculosis is diagnosed and treated in Ukraine
To confirm the diagnosis, the family doctor prescribes examinations - radiological, laboratory, microbiological.
Among modern diagnostic methods:
- fluorography and radiography;
- sputum microscopy (allows detection of bacteria);
- bacteriological culture (confirms the presence of the pathogen,
and also determines antibiotic resistance);
- tuberculin and immune tests;
- modern molecular tests (PCR and
molecular genetic tests that allow detection of bacterial DNA).
Tuberculosis diagnosis in Ukraine is free of charge.
Assistance to tuberculosis patients in Ukraine is provided under the package "Diagnosis and treatment of adults and children with tuberculosis in inpatient and outpatient settings." Services can be obtained in 25 specialized anti-tuberculosis institutions and in 962 primary health care institutions that have relevant agreements with the NHSU.
The NHSU pays medical institutions 49,620 hryvnias for the treatment of one patient in a specialized institution and 835 hryvnias per month for patient support at the primary health care level.
Separately, medical institutions provide free medical drugs for the treatment of the disease. They are purchased centrally and given to patients for the entire course of treatment.
Thanks to innovative drugs, the duration of treatment for sensitive tuberculosis has already been reduced to 4-6 months. And the treatment of drug-resistant forms of the disease currently lasts mainly 6-9 months. Preventive treatment of tuberculosis can now be completed in just 1-3 months, and protection against the disease lasts for more than 10 years.