Exhibit Sheds Light On Tuberculosis, Patients
EL PASO, TX — A health initiative is raising new awareness on the border about the dangers and risks associated with tuberculosis. The region has a higher rate of the contagious disease than the rest of the country, medical officials have said.
The Border TB Photovoice Project hasbrought together patients from El Paso and Juarez to provide advocacy for treatment and support. It features photographs of patients and printed data that delves into causes and treatments.
Although there are four Photovoice Projects around the world, the one on the border is the first to capture the experience of two countries.
One such patient, Dirk Deheer, is a teacher at U.T. El Paso. He was infected in the Netherlands by his sister, who happens to be a nurse. He’s now cured and he says he participated in the Photovoice project to dispel stereotypes.
Medical officials have said the misconceptions about the disease are numerous.
“You hear that it’s a disease of the poor. That’s the disease of the homeless. Actually, it’s a disease that could affect any of us,” said Ana Moya, a spokeswoman for U.S. and Mexico health affairs.
The exhibit next travels to Laredo, Texas, and then to South Africa in November for a global conference on lung health. The World Health Organization estimates a third of the global population is infected with tuberculosis.
Written for broadcast by Angela Kocherga
Edited for KVIA.com by Kevin Pytcher
