WashingtonWeeklyTimes.com
  • Home
  • US News
    San Francisco Italian restaurant is closing as ‘bleeding’ businesses continue to suffer in city’s downtown

    San Francisco Italian restaurant is closing as ‘bleeding’ businesses continue to suffer in city’s downtown

    Trump’s ‘Extremist’ Gaslighting Exposed In Damning Montage

    Trump’s ‘Extremist’ Gaslighting Exposed In Damning Montage

    Workers uncover 8 mummies and pre-Inca objects while expanding gas network in Peru

    Workers uncover 8 mummies and pre-Inca objects while expanding gas network in Peru

    Massive Alligator Killed After Being Spotted With Human Remains In Its Mouth In Florida Canal

    Massive Alligator Killed After Being Spotted With Human Remains In Its Mouth In Florida Canal

    Shoplifting ‘epidemic’ hits major European city as stores offer to equip staff with bodycams

    Shoplifting ‘epidemic’ hits major European city as stores offer to equip staff with bodycams

  • Politics
    Trump Demands All Senate Democrats Resign Because Menendez Was Indicted

    Trump Demands All Senate Democrats Resign Because Menendez Was Indicted

    Pentagon Exempts Aid To Ukraine From Potential Government Shutdown, Sparking Outrage From People Who Put America First

    Pentagon Exempts Aid To Ukraine From Potential Government Shutdown, Sparking Outrage From People Who Put America First

    President Trump to Deliver Remarks In Summerville, SC Monday – EVENT SOLD OUT | The Gateway Pundit

    President Trump to Deliver Remarks In Summerville, SC Monday – EVENT SOLD OUT | The Gateway Pundit

    Rep. Andy Kim Primaries Indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez

    Rep. Andy Kim Primaries Indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez

  • Business
    Lululemon's Secret Power: Even Mom Can't Make It Uncool

    Lululemon's Secret Power: Even Mom Can't Make It Uncool

    WGA writers, studios reach tentative deal to end strike

    WGA writers, studios reach tentative deal to end strike

    Singaporeans turn to fortune telling for money, hiring and love advice

    Singaporeans turn to fortune telling for money, hiring and love advice

    Meta to Push for Younger Users With New AI Chatbot Characters

    Meta to Push for Younger Users With New AI Chatbot Characters

  • Science
    Potential new medicine can target proteins on cancer cell surfaces

    Potential new medicine can target proteins on cancer cell surfaces

    Behold the Latest Treasures Unearthed at Mexico City’s Templo Mayor

    Behold the Latest Treasures Unearthed at Mexico City’s Templo Mayor

    OSIRIS-REx’s Asteroid Samples Are Finally Down to Earth

    OSIRIS-REx’s Asteroid Samples Are Finally Down to Earth

    Massive power line will send Canadian hydropower to New York

    Massive power line will send Canadian hydropower to New York

  • Technology
    Elicit is building a tool to automate scientific literature review

    Elicit is building a tool to automate scientific literature review

    How to Get Your 4 Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests (2023)

    How to Get Your 4 Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests (2023)

    California governor vetoes bill to ban driverless AV trucks

    California governor vetoes bill to ban driverless AV trucks

    Superkop Espresso Maker Review: Great Espresso Without the Electricity

    Superkop Espresso Maker Review: Great Espresso Without the Electricity

  • Lifestyle
    Dress Code: Scout

    Dress Code: Scout

    The Pros and Cons of Buying an Electric Vehicle

    The Pros and Cons of Buying an Electric Vehicle

    What is Clean Beauty? LILFOX’s Founder on Defining the Category

    What is Clean Beauty? LILFOX’s Founder on Defining the Category

    The First Intimate Oil You’ll Want to Use All Over

    The First Intimate Oil You’ll Want to Use All Over

  • Music
    Knocked Loose Fest Response Shows How Open-Minded Fans Are Now

    Knocked Loose Fest Response Shows How Open-Minded Fans Are Now

    WGA and AMPTP Sign New Deal, Ending 2023 Strike

    WGA and AMPTP Sign New Deal, Ending 2023 Strike

    Moog Cuts U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Months After inMusic’s Acquisition

    Moog Cuts U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Months After inMusic’s Acquisition

    Rod Wave Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘Nostalgia’ – Billboard

    Rod Wave Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘Nostalgia’ – Billboard

  • Television
    Days of Our Lives Spoilers for the Week of 9-25-23: Victor’s Will Says WHAT?

    Days of Our Lives Spoilers for the Week of 9-25-23: Victor’s Will Says WHAT?

    Steve Harvey Is the Best Host on Television – And it’s Not Even Close

    Steve Harvey Is the Best Host on Television – And it’s Not Even Close

    Series Premiere, Episode 1 on Fox, Dan Harmon – TVLine

    Series Premiere, Episode 1 on Fox, Dan Harmon – TVLine

    Days of Our Lives Round Table: Chloe Knows The Truth!

    Days of Our Lives Round Table: Chloe Knows The Truth!

  • Film
    Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans cinema

    Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans cinema

    ‘Oppenheimer,’ Still Holding Strong, Nears $60M – The Hollywood Reporter

    ‘Oppenheimer,’ Still Holding Strong, Nears $60M – The Hollywood Reporter

    15 Funniest The Far Side Comics That Will Never Get Old

    15 Funniest The Far Side Comics That Will Never Get Old

    MMXX – first-look review – Little White Lies

    MMXX – first-look review – Little White Lies

  • Literature
    Vauhini Vara Doesn’t Know How She Does It

    Vauhini Vara Doesn’t Know How She Does It

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 23, 2023

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 23, 2023

    When A League of Their Own Started Casting, Actresses Took Over LA’s Batting Cages ‹ Literary Hub

    When A League of Their Own Started Casting, Actresses Took Over LA’s Batting Cages ‹ Literary Hub

    Can’t You See That the Wall Is Growing?

    Can’t You See That the Wall Is Growing?

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 24, 2023

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 24, 2023

    September 22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

    September 22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

    7 Dark and Thrilling Novels about Women Who Kill

    7 Dark and Thrilling Novels about Women Who Kill

    Book Riot’s YA Book Deals of the Day: September 23, 2023

    Book Riot’s YA Book Deals of the Day: September 23, 2023

    September 18-22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

    September 18-22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

  • Contact
    • About
  • Home
  • US News
    San Francisco Italian restaurant is closing as ‘bleeding’ businesses continue to suffer in city’s downtown

    San Francisco Italian restaurant is closing as ‘bleeding’ businesses continue to suffer in city’s downtown

    Trump’s ‘Extremist’ Gaslighting Exposed In Damning Montage

    Trump’s ‘Extremist’ Gaslighting Exposed In Damning Montage

    Workers uncover 8 mummies and pre-Inca objects while expanding gas network in Peru

    Workers uncover 8 mummies and pre-Inca objects while expanding gas network in Peru

    Massive Alligator Killed After Being Spotted With Human Remains In Its Mouth In Florida Canal

    Massive Alligator Killed After Being Spotted With Human Remains In Its Mouth In Florida Canal

    Shoplifting ‘epidemic’ hits major European city as stores offer to equip staff with bodycams

    Shoplifting ‘epidemic’ hits major European city as stores offer to equip staff with bodycams

  • Politics
    Trump Demands All Senate Democrats Resign Because Menendez Was Indicted

    Trump Demands All Senate Democrats Resign Because Menendez Was Indicted

    Pentagon Exempts Aid To Ukraine From Potential Government Shutdown, Sparking Outrage From People Who Put America First

    Pentagon Exempts Aid To Ukraine From Potential Government Shutdown, Sparking Outrage From People Who Put America First

    President Trump to Deliver Remarks In Summerville, SC Monday – EVENT SOLD OUT | The Gateway Pundit

    President Trump to Deliver Remarks In Summerville, SC Monday – EVENT SOLD OUT | The Gateway Pundit

    Rep. Andy Kim Primaries Indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez

    Rep. Andy Kim Primaries Indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez

  • Business
    Lululemon's Secret Power: Even Mom Can't Make It Uncool

    Lululemon's Secret Power: Even Mom Can't Make It Uncool

    WGA writers, studios reach tentative deal to end strike

    WGA writers, studios reach tentative deal to end strike

    Singaporeans turn to fortune telling for money, hiring and love advice

    Singaporeans turn to fortune telling for money, hiring and love advice

    Meta to Push for Younger Users With New AI Chatbot Characters

    Meta to Push for Younger Users With New AI Chatbot Characters

  • Science
    Potential new medicine can target proteins on cancer cell surfaces

    Potential new medicine can target proteins on cancer cell surfaces

    Behold the Latest Treasures Unearthed at Mexico City’s Templo Mayor

    Behold the Latest Treasures Unearthed at Mexico City’s Templo Mayor

    OSIRIS-REx’s Asteroid Samples Are Finally Down to Earth

    OSIRIS-REx’s Asteroid Samples Are Finally Down to Earth

    Massive power line will send Canadian hydropower to New York

    Massive power line will send Canadian hydropower to New York

  • Technology
    Elicit is building a tool to automate scientific literature review

    Elicit is building a tool to automate scientific literature review

    How to Get Your 4 Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests (2023)

    How to Get Your 4 Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests (2023)

    California governor vetoes bill to ban driverless AV trucks

    California governor vetoes bill to ban driverless AV trucks

    Superkop Espresso Maker Review: Great Espresso Without the Electricity

    Superkop Espresso Maker Review: Great Espresso Without the Electricity

  • Lifestyle
    Dress Code: Scout

    Dress Code: Scout

    The Pros and Cons of Buying an Electric Vehicle

    The Pros and Cons of Buying an Electric Vehicle

    What is Clean Beauty? LILFOX’s Founder on Defining the Category

    What is Clean Beauty? LILFOX’s Founder on Defining the Category

    The First Intimate Oil You’ll Want to Use All Over

    The First Intimate Oil You’ll Want to Use All Over

  • Music
    Knocked Loose Fest Response Shows How Open-Minded Fans Are Now

    Knocked Loose Fest Response Shows How Open-Minded Fans Are Now

    WGA and AMPTP Sign New Deal, Ending 2023 Strike

    WGA and AMPTP Sign New Deal, Ending 2023 Strike

    Moog Cuts U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Months After inMusic’s Acquisition

    Moog Cuts U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Months After inMusic’s Acquisition

    Rod Wave Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘Nostalgia’ – Billboard

    Rod Wave Scores Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With ‘Nostalgia’ – Billboard

  • Television
    Days of Our Lives Spoilers for the Week of 9-25-23: Victor’s Will Says WHAT?

    Days of Our Lives Spoilers for the Week of 9-25-23: Victor’s Will Says WHAT?

    Steve Harvey Is the Best Host on Television – And it’s Not Even Close

    Steve Harvey Is the Best Host on Television – And it’s Not Even Close

    Series Premiere, Episode 1 on Fox, Dan Harmon – TVLine

    Series Premiere, Episode 1 on Fox, Dan Harmon – TVLine

    Days of Our Lives Round Table: Chloe Knows The Truth!

    Days of Our Lives Round Table: Chloe Knows The Truth!

  • Film
    Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans cinema

    Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans cinema

    ‘Oppenheimer,’ Still Holding Strong, Nears $60M – The Hollywood Reporter

    ‘Oppenheimer,’ Still Holding Strong, Nears $60M – The Hollywood Reporter

    15 Funniest The Far Side Comics That Will Never Get Old

    15 Funniest The Far Side Comics That Will Never Get Old

    MMXX – first-look review – Little White Lies

    MMXX – first-look review – Little White Lies

  • Literature
    Vauhini Vara Doesn’t Know How She Does It

    Vauhini Vara Doesn’t Know How She Does It

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 23, 2023

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 23, 2023

    When A League of Their Own Started Casting, Actresses Took Over LA’s Batting Cages ‹ Literary Hub

    When A League of Their Own Started Casting, Actresses Took Over LA’s Batting Cages ‹ Literary Hub

    Can’t You See That the Wall Is Growing?

    Can’t You See That the Wall Is Growing?

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 24, 2023

    Book Riot’s Deals of the Day for September 24, 2023

    September 22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

    September 22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

    7 Dark and Thrilling Novels about Women Who Kill

    7 Dark and Thrilling Novels about Women Who Kill

    Book Riot’s YA Book Deals of the Day: September 23, 2023

    Book Riot’s YA Book Deals of the Day: September 23, 2023

    September 18-22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

    September 18-22, 2023 ‹ Literary Hub

  • Contact
    • About
No Result
View All Result
WashingtonWeeklyTimes.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Tuberculosis Is the Oldest Pandemic, and Poverty Makes It Continue

by admin
May 20, 2022
in Science
Tuberculosis Is the Oldest Pandemic, and Poverty Makes It Continue


Meera Yadav gave birth to her first baby in 2013, when she was a 23-year-old living in a slum in Mumbai, India, with her husband’s family. She was filled with joy and hopes for a bright future. But four months later she began having fevers and coughing up blood.

Yadav’s husband took her to a private hospital, where a doctor prescribed blood tests, a chest x-ray and a sputum test.

She was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a disease at least 9,000 years old that has likely killed more people than any other plague—as many as one billion in the past 200 years. Although the illness may seem like a historical footnote in high-income countries, it continues devastating poorer nations, afflicting the most disadvantaged: poor people, prisoners and those who are HIV-positive.

TB is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads when someone coughs, pushing bacteria into the air. In most cases, the immune system stops the bacteria from growing. It can remain in the body, dormant but alive, for years without causing symptoms or spreading. These cases are difficult to detect because people have normal chest x-rays and negative sputum tests.

But for about 10 percent of infected people, like Yadav, the infection develops into a serious disease and becomes contagious. Nearly two billion people—one quarter of the world’s population—are infected today. Roughly 10 million fall ill annually. Without treatment, most cases lead to prolonged illness that culminates in fatal respiratory failure; TB kills about 1.5 million people every year.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 95 percent of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries where malnutrition, lack of health care and crowded housing allow the disease to thrive and spread. In these places, inadequate public health systems fail to detect many cases, and effective treatment may be too expensive or unavailable. “Wherever there is poverty within a country, TB will find such people,” says epidemiologist Madhukar Pai, a TB expert at McGill University. “It’s mostly Black, brown, Indigenous and poor people who suffer from TB, and that’s why it doesn’t get much attention.”

Chart shows TB prevalence and gross domestic product in the world’s 10 most populous countries.


Credit: Amanda Montañez; Sources: Global Tuberculosis Report, World Health Organization, 2021 (TB prevalence data); World Bank (GDP data)

It was easy for TB to find Yadav. She was living in poverty amid dilapidated houses stacked close together. Mumbai is one of the worst hotspots in India, a nation that accounts for one quarter of all diagnoses worldwide.

There is a desperate need for more research on TB. The one existing vaccine is ineffective in adults and almost a century old. Many strains of TB have developed resistance to antibiotics, and some are resistant to many or all drugs used to treat the disease. For years the WHO has been calling on nations to invest in developing better drugs and diagnostics. The agency estimates that an extra $1.1 billion is needed every year.

In recent years, global TB cases declined about 2 percent annually, too slow to hit the United Nations goal, announced in 2015, of ending the pandemic by 2030. The COVID pandemic exacerbated TB, overwhelming national health systems, making it impossible for many patients to receive treatment and pushing more people into poverty. “Even before the pandemic, we were not making good progress,” Pai says. “But the past two years have been so bad that we have lost something like 10 years of progress in TB.” In 2021, for the first time in more than a decade, TB mortality increased.

Despite this slide, there are reasons for hope. Across the globe, innovative initiatives focused on the most vulnerable patients are targeting prevention, detection and treatment. None of these efforts alone will vanquish TB. But they point the way forward to a future in which the disease is no longer neglected.

Fighting the Resistance

After her diagnosis, Yadav was hospitalized for a month, at a cost of 300,000 rupees (almost $4,000), arduously paid by her husband’s family. Once home, she was separated from her newborn, and her relationship with her husband and in-laws soured. “They all discriminated against me because I had TB,” she remembers. Despite treatment, she did not improve.

Her husband took her to a second hospital, where they diagnosed her with MDR-TB (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis). Her treatment now involved 13 different medications, including injections of kanamycin, which can cause permanent hearing loss and kidney impairment. Instead of the six-month course that cures most TB, MDR-TB treatment can last as long as 48 months, with a success rate of only 59 percent. India estimates that about 130,000 people get sick with MDR-TB every year, but less than half of those cases are diagnosed, and even fewer are treated. Errors in diagnosis and treatment fuel the transmission of drug-resistant TB.

“We [doctors] are somewhat responsible for the increase of MDR-TB,” says pulmonologist Vikas Oswal, who divides his time as a TB physician between public and private sectors in Mumbai. Medical errors and failure to follow up on patients are common, especially in the private system. In India, public-sector TB treatment is free, but patients often face long lines. Instead more than half seek private care, which is faster but not as prepared to deal with TB. Most private clinics don’t have access to medications to treat MDR-TB, and doctors see as many as 14 patients at the same time in an exam room, he says.

Seven months after her second round of treatment, Yadav’s fever came back, and she woke up early one morning coughing blood. A CT scan showed her right lung was collapsing and had to be removed. She spent another month in the hospital, at which point her husband’s family evicted her and took custody of her son. She moved back to her parents’ house, where her mother was already suffering from a case of untreated TB that would soon kill her. “I attempted suicide twice,” Yadav says. “I asked myself: Why me? I questioned why God had chosen me to bear all that.”

Three years after her initial diagnosis, a friend referred Yadav to a Doctors without Borders clinic in Mumbai. They offered to treat her for free, this time with newer drugs. With help from psychologists, she convinced herself to try again, mostly for the sake of her son. She got bedaquiline and delamanid, two potent and less toxic medicines for MDR-TB introduced in 2012. “These drugs saved my life,” Yadav says. In 2018, almost six years after her diagnosis, she was cured. The WHO now recommends both drugs as standard treatment for MDR-TB, but access is an issue in India.

Until 2019, the country relied on pharmaceutical company donations of these medicines. Today the government pays about $350 for a six-month course of bedaquiline and $1,200 for delamanid. The prices are too high for India to treat all who need it. In 2019 alone, 66,255 people were diagnosed with MDR-TB in India, but only 2.6 percent received the newer drugs.

In 2021 Yadav and another TB survivor filed a petition in the Bombay High Court requesting the national government invalidate the medications’ patents—which expire after 2023—allowing Indian drug companies to manufacture cheaper generic versions. The lawsuit, delayed because of COVID, is unlikely to succeed: India has issued this kind of license only once before, for a cancer drug in 2012.

Yadav remains hopeful about the case. She still gets breathless quickly and must regularly drain liquid from her lung. But she has found inspiration in fighting for other patients. “I want to make sure that no one has to suffer what I did,” she says.

Dangerous Air

Children are especially vulnerable to developing severe TB; they account for 11 percent of cases and 13.8 percent of deaths worldwide. But prevention and treatment usually focus on adults, who are more likely to spread the disease, and children are often overlooked. Of the estimated 200,000 children who die of TB every year, 90 percent are never diagnosed or treated.

A South African program, led by national and municipal departments of health in partnership with Doctors without Borders, protects members of this vulnerable group living in the shantytowns of Khayelitsha and Eshowe.

Nurse Ivy Apolisi wanders the unpaved alleys of Khayelitsha, searching for her patients among tiny shacks made of tin, wood and cardboard. Here most homes lack formal addresses, indoor toilets, running water or electricity. Families of 11 or more often share a single room with little or no ventilation. “If one is coughing, it is so easy to infect another,” she says. Khayelitsha has one of the highest burdens of TB in the country, with surging cases of drug-resistant strains.

Apolisi, together with a physician colleague, ensures that children in close contact with her TB patients take the daily preventive medication isoniazid for at least six months, as recommended by the WHO. The practice is routine in wealthy nations but not poorer ones.

In Khayelitsha, COVID brought a spike in TB transmission and mortality. Children stayed indoors, sharing air with their sick relatives. So the team began making house calls rather than asking adults diagnosed with TB to bring their children to clinics. Apolisi checks any children in the household for signs of TB. Children with symptoms head to the clinic for tests. Those who are not ill get preventive treatment. Some are as young as six weeks old. For children up to three years old who can eat solid food, the team dissolves the medicine in mango yogurt, an exciting treat for them. “Preventing TB in children is much better than watching and waiting to see if they will get sick,” Apolisi says.

Only 2.8 million people worldwide received preventive medication in 2020, a 21 percent slide from 2019. “We are not doing nearly enough to prevent TB and drug-resistant TB in children,” says Jennifer Furin, an infectious diseases clinician at Harvard Medical School who has been working with TB in developing nations for more than two decades.

So far the South African program has enrolled more than 300 families and provided preventive treatment to 200 children, none of whom developed the disease. The project can serve as an example, Furin says. “We have to focus on prevention in households if we want to make a dent in the TB epidemic.”

TB behind Bars

Prisoners are another neglected group in the TB pandemic, and they often face an unintended sentence. Conditions such as overcrowding, poor ventilation and poor nutrition make them susceptible to the disease. And because most convicts enter prison with prior risk factors such as malnutrition and substance use, they are even more vulnerable.

Last August, Eduardo da Silva, a 22-year-old inmate in a prison in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in southwestern Brazil, had the misfortune to face all these conditions at once. Locked behind a thick steel door, a tiny hole his only window, da Silva was wracked with fever, cough, chest pain and night sweats. Other convicts forced him to sleep in a corner on the cold floor, thinking he had COVID. Isolating was impossible because da Silva shared a cell twice the size of a king-size bed with more than 50 people. “I couldn’t do anything but lie down,” da Silva recalls, but space in the cell was so tight that people often slept in a sitting position or on top of one another.

Nurse in Khayelitsha, South Africa.
Nurse Ivy Apolisi makes house calls in Khayelitsha, treating patients and providing preventive treatment to children. Credit: Jonathan Torgovnik

He had no energy to walk or eat, and in two months his weight plummeted to 89 pounds. It was TB, not COVID.

It has become a common story in South America. While TB has declined across the world, here it has surged along with incarceration. The incarcerated population grew by 200 percent in the past two decades. Among that group, TB cases more than doubled from 2011 to 2017, according to a Lancet study. Brazil accounts for almost half of that increase. Those entering prison in Brazil have roughly average infection rates, but their risk increases 25 percent each year of incarceration, according to a study co-authored by Julio Croda, an epidemiologist at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. “Prisons are TB amplifiers,” Croda says. “But unfortunately, most people in society don’t care about what happens in prisons.”

They may not care, but prison walls are not strong enough to keep TB inside. The disease spreads among inmates, visitors and workers alike. To trace the path of infection, Croda and his colleagues compared the genomes of TB bacteria sampled from prisoners and recently released convicts. In Mato Grosso do Sul, they identified at least 18 chains of contagion by which prisoners and ex-convicts transmitted TB to others. In one sample of 320 cases of people never incarcerated, half were directly connected to prisoners. Because TB can remain dormant, researchers have found inmates may become ill and infectious up to seven years after release.

Croda and his colleagues are developing a strategy to stop this spread, conducting mass screenings in three major Brazilian penitentiaries in Mato Grosso do Sul. Since 2017 they have tested more than 7,000 inmates for TB every nine months using the standard sputum test plus artificial-intelligence software that assesses chest x-rays.

When da Silva was diagnosed with advanced TB, he was scared. His father had had TB in prison and was never properly treated, so he did not realize the disease was curable. After counseling and treatment, his confidence grew. “I felt the health team cared about me, and they told me I would be cured,” da Silva says. “So I took the medicines.”

TB spreads quickly in prisons, but it also can be better controlled there because prison staff ensure treatment adherence. “Everyone in the cell helps each other to keep the treatment going,” says Andrea Santos, a nurse with the project. The intervention cut TB cases by half in one prison in Mato Grosso do Sul. Predictive models designed by Croda and his collaborators suggest that mass screening in prisons can reduce TB prevalence in surrounding communities by nearly 20 percent.

After six months of treatment, da Silva is cured. He is back to his normal weight and says he feels good. But he is an exception. Mass-screening programs for TB in prisons are rare because there is a general failure to recognize the role of prisons in the disease. The WHO does not keep any official record of TB cases among prisoners or list them as a risk group. “We won’t reduce TB incidence, especially in South America, if we don’t address this population,” Croda says.

Fighting a Social Disease

The COVID pandemic amplified an important lesson in public health: conquering a disease requires multiple combined efforts. “We learned with COVID that masks were good, but not enough. Isolation was good, but not enough. Vaccines were good, but also not enough,” Pai says. “Now is the time to do the same with TB.”

A comprehensive approach to TB requires investment in screening, preventive therapy and better drugs but most of all in fighting poverty. Universal health care and increased income correlate directly with a drop in TB rates. To make real progress, Pai notes, governments and public health organizations must tackle social aspects of the disease, such as stigma, crowded living conditions, malnutrition and the economic burden of treatment. “If we focus on only the biomedical aspects of TB, we can make an improvement, but we will never control the epidemic,” he adds. “There is no way to really solve TB without tackling inequality.”

This article is part of  “Innovations In: Health Equity,” an editorially independent special report that was produced with financial support from Takeda Pharmaceuticals.



Original Source Link

Previous Post

Evil Dead: The Best Beginner Demons to Start With

Next Post

Do People Caught on Ring Cameras Have Privacy Rights?

admin

admin

Next Post
Do People Caught on Ring Cameras Have Privacy Rights?

Do People Caught on Ring Cameras Have Privacy Rights?

Rep. Madison Cawthorn Vows ‘Dark MAGA’ Revenge For His Election Loss

Rep. Madison Cawthorn Vows 'Dark MAGA' Revenge For His Election Loss

Senate Unanimously Sends Bill To Combat Baby Formula Shortage To Biden

Senate Unanimously Sends Bill To Combat Baby Formula Shortage To Biden

PopularPosts

Latin Artist on the Rise – Billboard

Latin Artist on the Rise – Billboard

May 26, 2022
‘I’m kind of lazy.’ Why We Aren’t Going Back to the Movies – The Assignment with Audie Cornish

‘I’m kind of lazy.’ Why We Aren’t Going Back to the Movies – The Assignment with Audie Cornish

February 1, 2023
Former Army Ranger returns to Iraq — but this time with her Harvard master’s degrees

Former Army Ranger returns to Iraq — but this time with her Harvard master’s degrees

June 11, 2022
Who Is the Best Hannibal? (POLL)

Who Is the Best Hannibal? (POLL)

April 2, 2023
The 10 Best Matcha Powders, According to Matcha Lovers

The 10 Best Matcha Powders, According to Matcha Lovers

August 16, 2022
Baseball teams need modern tech stack as much as any other biz – TechCrunch

Baseball teams need modern tech stack as much as any other biz – TechCrunch

June 27, 2022

Categories

  • Business (3,566)
  • Film (3,531)
  • Lifestyle (1,627)
  • Literature (1,626)
  • Music (3,567)
  • Politics (3,526)
  • Science (2,961)
  • Technology (3,515)
  • Television (3,567)
  • Uncategorized (3)
  • US News (3,550)

RecentPosts

San Francisco Italian restaurant is closing as ‘bleeding’ businesses continue to suffer in city’s downtown

San Francisco Italian restaurant is closing as ‘bleeding’ businesses continue to suffer in city’s downtown

by admin
September 25, 2023

An Italian restaurant owner announced that he was closing up...

Elicit is building a tool to automate scientific literature review

Elicit is building a tool to automate scientific literature review

by admin
September 25, 2023

For researchers, reading scientific papers can be immensely time-consuming. According...

Potential new medicine can target proteins on cancer cell surfaces

Potential new medicine can target proteins on cancer cell surfaces

by admin
September 25, 2023

A light micrograph of breast cancer cells, which could one...

Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans cinema

Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans cinema

by admin
September 25, 2023

Inside the South African film festival challenging perceptions of Afrikaans...

Days of Our Lives Spoilers for the Week of 9-25-23: Victor’s Will Says WHAT?

Days of Our Lives Spoilers for the Week of 9-25-23: Victor’s Will Says WHAT?

by admin
September 25, 2023

The good news: If Victor's will is genuine, Vivian is...

Dress Code: Scout

Dress Code: Scout

by admin
September 25, 2023

Closed Utility Shirt | $280 Velasca Hiking Boots | $490...

Archives

Editor's Picks

Michael Caine Questions Need for Intimacy Coordinators on Film Sets – The Hollywood Reporter

Michael Caine Questions Need for Intimacy Coordinators on Film Sets – The Hollywood Reporter

September 24, 2023
Ski Resorts Are Giving Up on Snow

Ski Resorts Are Giving Up on Snow

September 19, 2023
POLL: What’s the Best Nirvana Album?

POLL: What’s the Best Nirvana Album?

September 19, 2023

Browse By Category

  • Business (3,566)
  • Film (3,531)
  • Lifestyle (1,627)
  • Literature (1,626)
  • Music (3,567)
  • Politics (3,526)
  • Science (2,961)
  • Technology (3,515)
  • Television (3,567)
  • Uncategorized (3)
  • US News (3,550)

Useful Links

  • Anti-Spam Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • DMCA Compliance
  • Earnings Disclaimer
  • Fair Use Disclaimer
  • FTC Compliance
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Social Media Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2022 by Washington Weekly Times. All rights reserved. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • US News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Science
  • Technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Music
  • Television
  • Film
  • Literature
  • Contact
    • About

Copyright © 2022 by Washington Weekly Times. All rights reserved. All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT