23.03.2026
Funding awarded for German-Moldovan project to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis and strengthen antimicrobial stewardship
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a high-priority pathogen in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The WHO European Region is particularly affected, and the Republic of Moldova has one of the highest proportions of drug-resistant TB cases in the region.Against this backdrop, the Research Center Borstel – Leibniz Lung Center, together with the Chiril Draganiuc Pneumology Institute and the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (USMPh) in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, has been awarded funding of up to €200,000 for the project “Fighting Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis through Antimicrobial Stewardship.”
The project is implemented within the framework of the “Hospital Partnerships” funding program, which is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), commissioned and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and co-financed by the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS).
In 2025, under the leadership of researchers from the Research Center Borstel and in collaboration with an international consortium of more than 60 experts, the first international standards for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in tuberculosis care were defined (Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2024;2(12):716). The implementation landscape of these standards across Europe is currently being evaluated in cooperation with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. In parallel, a two-year pilot project is now being launched in the Republic of Moldova to implement these AMS standards in practice. Moldova is intended to serve as a model country for the structured integration of antimicrobial stewardship into TB care, with potential transferability to other high-burden settings.
A further milestone will be the first international Conference on Antimicrobial Stewardship in TB, to be held on June 8–9 in Chișinău. The conference will bring together international stakeholders from the WHO European Region to identify implementation gaps and define concrete strategic next steps.The project combines structural analysis, modern molecular diagnostics, treatment monitoring, and targeted capacity building. Its goal is to enable earlier detection of resistance, improve treatment decision-making, and effectively limit the further development of antimicrobial resistance.
“With this funding, we can adapt antimicrobial stewardship specifically to the needs of tuberculosis care and thereby contribute to the global fight against antimicrobial resistance,” says Thomas Theo Brehm (Research Center Borstel).
“This partnership enables us to integrate modern diagnostics and structured decision-making processes more strongly into routine care – directly benefiting our patients,” adds Dumitru Chesov (Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova).
Kontakt
PD Dr. med. Thomas Theo Brehm
FG Klinische Infektiologie
Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum
Parkallee 35
23845 Borstel