Tuberculosis is A Global Disease

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Abstract

Tuberculosis is a deadly disease that is now affecting our world and the people living in it in a horrible way. Due to many factors such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, and lack of health care, many third world and developing countries have been left very vulnerable to tuberculosis. It is affecting a large part of these countries and is leading them deeper into poverty and sickness. The effort to help these countries against tuberculosis has only been slightly effective against this widespread and destructive disease.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects one third of the world's population. The most infected areas are developing counties or third worlds countries such as Africa, India, Pakistan, and East Timor. Tuberculosis has been affecting people for millennia. Despite all of mankind's medical advances, TB is a global pandemic. This pandemic is caused by a number of factors such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, lack of health care, lack of knowledge, and new drug resistant strains. Globally, TB is second only to HIV/AIDS as a cause of illness and death of adults, accounting for nearly nine million cases of active disease and two million deaths every year (WHO declares TB an emergency in Africa Para 4). Microscopic droplets spread TB when an infected person talks, coughs, laughs, sneezes, or sings. It usually takes prolonged exposure with an infected person to become infected.

In the United States, tuberculosis, compared to the rest of the world, is not as widespread. In 2003, a total of 14,871 tuberculosis (TB) cases (5.1 cases per 100,000 population) were reported in the United States. In addition, in 2003, foreign born people were recorded for 53.3% (7,845 cases) of the national case total, and 25 states reported th...

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... public-private efforts, and expand community participation in tuberculosis control activities. Although counties have made efforts to fight this disease, they are unable to overcome this pandemic (WHO declares TB an emergency in Africa Para 7).

Works Cited

Mwinga, A. Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in Africa. 2001. New York Academy of Sciences. 1 Aug. 2007.
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Projects in Africa. 2005-7. Target Tuberculosis. 1 Aug. 2007. .

Trends in Tuberculosis. 19 March 2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 1 Aug. 2007. .

WHO Declares TB an Emergency in Africa. 2007. World Health Center. 1 Aug. 2007. .

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