Tuberculosis: The Modern Disease

For many people, the word “tuberculosis” rings up thoughts of the past. The days of coughing and fever have been long gone, thanks to the advent of modern medicine; something so curable could not possibly remain a problem. And yet, this happens to be a major misconception in developed nations. Tuberculosis is among the top ten causes of death across the globe—about 2 million people die annually due to the disease, 95% of whom live in low and middle income countries. (1) This leads to an important question: why do so many people die from such an antiquated disease, one so readily treatable? The answer to this question is multi-faceted. Socioeconomic barriers faced by these developing nations are at the forefront of the issue; as the disease may be costly to treat or diagnose, this has led to a gap in effective care. (2) However, an equally significant topic to consider is the growing resistance of the bacteria to antibiotics. One in five cases are drug-resistant, and a rapidly increasing number are multidrug-resistant. (3) What this means is that the cost of treating TB is ever rising; not only are more drugs necessary, but the research and production of new solutions is rendered critical.

Due to all the issues associated with the TB epidemic, the need for cooperation from pharmaceuticals is one of the most important and underrated factors. Without the altruistic aid of pharmaceutical companies in development and distribution, a large portion of treatment would not exist. But, these companies often still fall short in their philanthropic capacity. It is this high potential paired with a lack of action that leads to the high incidence of TB in underdeveloped nations. This brings another question under consideration: when these pharmaceuticals are held privately, how can they be convinced to provide aid?

There is a possible solution to be found in the Global Health Impact Project, an organization that ranks the impacts of pharmaceutical companies: incentivization. (4) When companies are ranked by their altruism, they will be incentivized by competition to raise their score; this can consequently lead to a rise in research into TB drug resistance and distribution of medication. In addition, GHI hopes that with this rise, the incidence of TB will decrease. The disease’s relative absence in developed nations is a testimonial of its potential for eradication.

This concept is what inspired me to join the GHI team. When people are infected and affected by treatable diseases, it is clear that there is a divide between treatment capacity and accessibility. I wanted to be a part of something that strives to bridge that gap; this team does just that through research and analysis. And with a combined effort from pharmaceutical companies and organizations like GHI, the cost barrier of treatment can be overcome, and neglected diseases like tuberculosis may finally become problems of the past.

References:

1. "WHO | Tuberculosis." http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.
2. "Why TB Remains a Modern and Deadly Problem : NPR." 1 Jun. 2007, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10551019. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.
3. “Alcoholic Hepatitis - Diagnosis and Treatment - Mayo Clinic.” Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcoholic-hepatitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351394.
4. "Emerging epidemic of multidrug-resistant TB 'threatens decades of....." 23 Mar. 2017, http://www.humanosphere.org/global-health/2017/03/emerging-epidemic-multidrug-resistant-tb-threatens-decades-progress/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.
5. “Hepatitis E Questions and Answers for Health Professionals | CDC.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hev/hevfaq.htm#d4. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
6. "The Global Health Impact About the Index." http://global-health-impact.org/aboutindex.php. Accessed 5 Apr. 2017.