Tuberculosis is one of the oldest disease which has survived millions of years, and has been infecting humans for a long time. It is still one of the biggest curable disease which records higher mortality.
But how does a curable disease which has a known medication for more than fifty years is still lethal
There are two broad reasons, first is how a patient is getting diagnosed, and second which part of the world this patient comes from.
India has the highest total number of deaths globally but Lesotho and other African countries have higher mortality rate per person.
TB has a romantic historical charm since many of the big literary figures succumbed to it, and their work was more looked from a perspective of an artist with a tragic end. It doesn't devalue their work but does offer a romantic narrative to their stories. Remember the coughing blood in the rags and the very thin portrayals of the patients.
But a modern world which has all the tools available to prevent it fails miserably when it comes to the poor population. So, a one time romantic disease is a disease of poor now.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacteria which causes this but the treatment lies in the right mix of antibiotics and living condition. Out of the two medicine is the tricky part but the living conditions are more likely to affect if the medicine is going to be available and prove effective for a patient which makes the difference between surviving and succumbing.
Peace
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