Pustaka Ilmiah Universitas Padjadjaran

Abstrak

Problems Of Treatment And Management Of Tuberculosis

TB becomes a major problem in the world because it can affect physical, economic, social, and mental health condition of the patient. According to WHO (2002), poverty, a lack of basic health services, poor nutrition, and inadequate living conditions all contribute to the spread of TB. In turn, TB can create and worsen poverty in many countries because the average TB patient loses three to four months of work time with total lost of earning up to 30% of annual household income. Some families lose 100% of their income because of death or permanent defect as result of TB. TB is estimated can reduce the incomes of the world’s poorest communities by a total of US$12 billion per year (The Global Fund, 2005).

TB also has impact on women and children. TB is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age because woman is less likely to be tested and treated for TB than man (The Global Fund, 2005). More women tend to default from medication, and men tend to have high cure rate rather than women. One of reason for this because fewer women come to clinic and they use most of their time to take care of family rather than to take care their self. TB also can give more emotional and social burdens to women and children (Weiss, et al. 2006). Over 250,000 children die every year of TB because children are vulnerable to TB infection as result from frequent household contact. Children also suffer when their parents are infected. Every year in India alone, more than 300,000 children leave school because of their parents’ TB (The Global Fund, 2005).