journalistsagainsttb

JATB has strongly advocated for activism of the kind that HIV has, in order that greater focus can be directed to people suffering from TB. We have also at various times emphasized that TB needs to move out of labs and clinics and that people suffering from TB need to speak out and voice their demands more strongly instead of leaving TB care entirely to the medical fraternity. We are glad to feature an initiative by Medicins sans Frontieres (MSF) which promises that a direction towards this has been set.

MSF is launching ‘TB and me’, a citizen journalism project for TB patients. TB&ME is an MSF blogging platform, created to help patients suffering from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) share their stories. Over the coming months and years MSF will campaign for better treatment/services for TB sufferers. TB&ME enables MSF, and others, to learn where improvement is most needed and provides a much-needed support network for patients.

Madan Mishra is 36 and has been on treatment for MDR-TB for 9 months and for HIV for 3 years and 4 months. This is the fourth time he has been on treatment for TB – first in the private sector, twice in the public sector, and now with MSF. He will need to be on treatment until at least December 2011. JATB salutes the spirit and courage he has displayed by coming out and speaking about his experiences.

Bharathi Ghanashyam