Opinion: I saw firsthand in Nigeria that drugs alone can’t win the war against tuberculosis
“People infected with [tuberculosis] … need good living conditions, nutrition, and access to sanitation.”
Recently, after years of pressure, advocates including author and philanthropist John Green scored victory against Johnson & Johnson over a patent on a key tuberculosis drug. The campaigners hope the move will give millions of people affected by tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries access to the lifesaving medication bedaquiline.
But the drugs alone can’t win the fight against the debilitating disease. I have seen firsthand how socioeconomic barriers block patients from accessing even available treatments.
What's Your Reaction?
