Tuberculosis is an airborne infectious disease that, if not treated, can be lethal. In many countries of the world, including the Kyrgyz Republic, tuberculosis poses a serious threat to public health. Smear microscopy is the main diagnostic method used to identify TB  and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. Regular quality control of this method is important to ensure that TB cases are not being missed or falsely diagnosed in laboratories. The External Quality Assurance (EQA) program is an internationally recognized standard that allows laboratories to regularly evaluate their performance and to improve the accuracy of their results. Prior to the USAID Quality Health Care Project, the improved EQA techniques were not employed widely in the Kyrgyz Republic. Since 2013, USAID Quality Health Care Project has supported the National TB program to achieve countrywide EQA coverage by providing training for the staff of microscopy laboratories.