The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) in Ecuador has accredited 29 doctors for comprehensive management of tuberculosis, following an intensive training process. This initiative is part of the country’s efforts to improve healthcare quality and aligns with the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization’s “End Tuberculosis” strategy, which aims to reduce TB incidence and mortality by 2035.
The training, held between August and September 2025, involved medical professionals from various provinces. Out of 109 participants, 29 met all requirements and received certification. The program was supported by national specialists and members of the National Tuberculosis Committee.
Aura López, Zonal Coordinator 4 for Health, said: “It is essential that the patient has a professional with quality training. In health fields, we learn something different every day. Each day attending to a patient is a challenge that forces us to continue studying and strengthening the system.”
The certification complements other actions by MSP’s Directorate of Strategy for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases. These include implementing new shortened oral treatment regimens for TB infection and drug-resistant TB (MDR and pre-XDR), as well as increasing interventions aimed at people deprived of liberty, people living with HIV, and children.
Adrián Díaz, an accredited doctor at Hospital Tena, described the impact: “This training process raises our knowledge and will improve care for the population. We work as intermediaries between central administration and primary care, actively seeking out people with the disease. The goal is to end tuberculosis.”
Tuberculosis remains a significant public health issue in Ecuador. In 2022, there were 38 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Most cases affected men (79%), particularly those aged 25 to 34 years old. Over half of reported cases came from Guayaquil, Samborondón, and Durán provinces; there were also 390 cases of drug-resistant TB in that year.
Carlos Rosero Herrera, pulmonologist at Hospital Eugenio Espejo, noted: “Medical updating will always be dynamic and will come with greater challenges. We must remember that tuberculosis keeps moving. Although temporary goals have changed over the years, the current goal is clear: by 2050 we seek zero diseases, zero suffering, zero pain.”
Accredited professionals now have access to updated clinical practice guidelines on TB screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
