Tuberculosis used to be a dreaded disease, called consumption because of the way it “consumed” people’s bodies, both rich and poor. We no longer fear this disease. Effective treatments reduced the prevalence of TB in the US. The disease is feared in India, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In 2016 about 1.7 million died of TB.
It is a disease of the poor. They cannot afford the drugs or access treatment. This leads to the development of TB strains that are resistant to drugs called Multiple Drug Resistant and even Totally Drug Resistant TB.
It doesn’t have to be this way. There are ways to screen for the disease, treat it and prevent its spread. We know this. We have done this in the U.S. All it takes is a commitment to the welfare of vulnerable populations.
We have a chance to take part in making that commitment a reality by meeting the funding goals set by the U.S. House of Representatives and by having a forceful presence in the UN Summit on TB where world leaders will commit to end the epidemic by 2030.
Martha Bishop
Port Orchard
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