Epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in prisons of the Russian Federation in 2023

Relevance. Despite significant improvement, the epidemiological situation regarding tuberculosis in Russian prisons remains not entirely favorable. It is advisable to assess the epidemiological situation regarding penitentiary tuberculosis in Russia in the post-pandemic period and against the backdrop of a special military operation. Aim: to assess the dynamics of the development of the tuberculosis epidemic situation and the state of provision of TB care in prisons of the Russian Federation in 2023. Scientific novelty: for the first time, a study of the epidemic situation of penitentiary tuberculosis was carried out in the context of a special military operation and in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods. Data from official (federal and departmental) statistical observation for 2000-2023 was studied. Results and Discussion. In 2023, there is an acceleration in the rate of decline in the incidence of tuberculosis in pre-trial detention centers to 15.8% (p<0.001), while maintaining a stable rate of decline in correctional institutions. In general, in penitentiary institutions, the incidence of tuberculosis decreased from 580,4 in 2022 to 540,0 per 100,000 in 2023. The share of new cases of tuberculosis detected in penitentiary institutions among all new cases of tuberculosis decreased from 6.49% in 2022 to 5.63% in 2023. Mortality from tuberculosis changed statistically insignificantly (from 5.8 in 2022 to 4.5 per 100,000 in 2023; p=0.5). The prevalence of tuberculosis fell to 1982.3 per 100,000. The proportion of patients with tuberculosis combined with HIV in 2023 was 36.4%. Conclusion. The special military operation and the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a negative impact on the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Russian prisons. There may be some positive impact of the special military operation on the epidemic situation regarding tuberculosis, associated with the involvement of socially vulnerable sections of the population in economic and defense activities, which resulted in an increase in their standard of living and a decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis, which manifested itself in a decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis in pre-trial detention centers to a historical minimum.