World Tuberculosis Day

--> Today is World Tuberculosis Day, recalling this ancient disease which remains a top infectious disease killer in the world.  The World Health Organization reports that over 95% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.  Hope for elimination of this once-incurable disease came with the development of effective antibiotics but waned as the disease recurred with the spread of HIV and the development of resistance to medications commonly used in it's treatment.  Efforts toward eradication of tuberculosis are again moving forward, though.

Tuberculosis is an insidious disease.  It slowly takes health from a person, and it's cure requires persistence and attention by medical personnel over many months.   It is also a disease spread through the air and can infect people who do not realize they had been exposed to the illness.  Lastly, this infectiousness necessitates that there be a place for people with tuberculosis to stay until their initial treatment has rendered the infection incapable of being transmitted to others in their family and the community.

The MDA physicians who work in resource-limited countries see tuberculosis each day and know well the long time course of effective treatment.  There is another group of dedicated people who are important in the treatment of tuberculosis, though they may not be fully aware of the role they play.  St. Martin de Porres Mission Hospital in Njinikom, Cameroon, is blessed with a new building high on the hill which is used in part to care for people in isolation with tuberculosis treatment until they are no longer capable of spreading the infection to others.  The generous donors who have given to the Dr. James C. Carey Memorial Fund through Mission Doctors Association to make this essential facility possible can feel a bit of well-deserved pride today knowing that they are a vital part of the struggle to return people with tuberculosis to their families, and to finally make tuberculosis a disease of distant memory.

Tuberculosis Ward

Today's guest blog post is contributed by Dr. Tim Cavanagh. Dr. Cavanagh is a veteran Mission Doctor.  Tim and his wife Sheila served for three years in rural Zimbabwe and continue to serve on short-term missions in Africa and Latin America.  Additionally he serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Mission Doctors Association.