NPR | TB is the No. 1 killer among infectious diseases. A new study says its toll could mount
"As long as you breathe, you are at risk anywhere in the world." NPR's Goats and Soda explores the impact of aid cuts on the spread of Tuberculosis.
By Jonathan Lambert
This was originally published in NPR. Below is an excerpt from the article.
“As long as you breathe, you are at risk anywhere in the world,” says physician Lucica Ditiu.
The risk she’s referring to is catching tuberculosis. While it may seem like a disease from the past, this airborne illness kills more people than any other infectious disease worldwide, roughly 1.2 million a year. That number could increase dramatically because of the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign assistance, according to a new study co-authored by Ditiu.
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In January, Tasmieh Selim, a public health professional at the nonprofit BRAC, was just starting work on a USAID-funded project to reach those people. They were a week into U.S.-funded efforts to expand the country’s diagnostic network with more portable x-ray machines and advanced tests when they got a stop work order. Months later, the program is still stalled.
“It hurt a lot,” she said. “There is still a need for those activities in the field.”