Stopping for a tea in town at McLeod Ganj’s oldest hotel, the Kailash, last week, I came upon a set of Tibetan and English-language brochures on tuberculosis – prevention, what to look out for, etc. This got me wondering about the TB situation here.
The Tibetan government in exile, marking world TB day last week, announced a redoubling of efforts to combat TB. I haven’t seen specific details come out yet.
World TB Day was marking an increasing need to address the problems of containing tuberculosis, treating drug-resistant strains, and lowering the scary rate of TB fatalities in HIV-positive patients. Among the Tibetan population here in exile, TB is much higher (7.7/1,000 in 1996, and even higher in specific regions and populations) than in India overall (0.6-7.6/1000).
TB also has high rates on the Tibetan plateau. Helpful hints from the brochure? ‘If you have persistent cough for more than 2-3 weeks, consult your doctor.’ ‘If you are being treated for TB, do not stop your medication early, and do not stop and start taking medication.’ Etc.
Let’s hope things can improve!
