Four myths slowing down end TB efforts
Everyone has the right to access the healthcare that they need.
Yet in many cases where a person is suffering from tuberculosis (TB), common stigmas can restrict the support they get socially from friends and family, or even limit their access to their own money. As a result, many are forced to stop accessing TB services and treatment.
Without treatment TB can spread rapidly in a community, especially where people are living in close contact with others.
This is why it is critical to recognize stigma and address it at every stage of the TB support journey—from screening to recovery.
TB is genetic and can be inherited
TB is spread through the air, by water droplets from coughs and sneezes. So, if one family member contracts TB and it is not diagnosed, or they are not put onto treatment, then the whole family can become infected. This creates the impression that TB is passed down the generations of a family, rather than being a contagious disease.
TB is a disease associated with witchcraft
TB can be difficult to diagnose unless you visit a skilled health worker trained in TB diagnosis and provide a sputum (phlegm) sample or get an x-ray. As such, if someone with a TB cough visits a traditional healer they will not be cured of their symptoms. This creates the impression that the disease is incurable, so must be a product of a curse that someone has put on them.
TB patients must be on complete bed rest
This myth is sometimes exacerbated by the advice given by some health care providers. In fact, if after the first 2 weeks of treatment where you should be on bed rest you are physically able to get up, then you should do so, and follow your normal routine to prevent long-term physical issues and to stop potential social isolation.
After treatment, TB patients shouldn't return to normal life
TB patients are often stigmatized by myths even after they have completed treatment. Myths about TB re-infection mean that recovered patients sometimes isolate themselves, believing that they should not return to work, or even that they should not have children after being cured. In fact, if they follow the usual prevention advice, like everyone else, they should go back to their normal routine.
Stigma cannot be fought through just one medium or in just one way
Amref end TB programme design understands that stigma limits people’s access to TB services and has a significant negative impact on their quality of life. Anti-stigma measures are integrated into all our end TB activities.
Programmes are built on a deep understanding of the unique social contexts and stigmas each community faces, and with the knowledge that stigma cannot be fought through just one medium or in just one way.
We work with community health workers (CHWs) to identify possible discrimination at every point of the patient support journey, and to address stigmas by providing easy access to accurate information.
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Find out more about the community members driving progress to end TB where they live.
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