In addition to the physical side effects, contracting tuberculosis in Indonesia also means living with a social stigma, according to a story from IRIN News:
“When I was told I had TB, I felt ashamed,” Dini Kusumawadini, 28, who makes a living growing ornamental plants, told IRIN. “But after undergoing treatment, I wanted to share my experience and motivate people with TB so that they could recover.”
Tuberculosis is listed by the World Health Organization, along with malaria and AIDS, as one of the “three diseases of poverty.” To learn more about tuberculosis, check out the For the Record department (“TB or Not TB”) in the latest issue of World Ark magazine.