Stigma is Never Just Stigma (Part 2): Patients not Patents

Tuberculosis is the deadliest disease in human history - and believe it or not, it's curable.

Tuberculosis has killed millions of people world wide. Infamously, it has even caused the death of many notable people - Emily Brontë, Frédéric Chopin, Charles IX and Eleanor Roosevelt. And while you think it might be a killer of the past, John Green is making waves to prove otherwise and change it's future.

According to the WHO, every year, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB), and despite it being a preventable and curable disease, 1.5 million people die from TB each year – making it the world’s most infectious killer.

But here's the thing, it doesn't have to be. Most developed countries have actually eradicated TB due to the accessibility of health care coverage, and the drug bedaquiline.

But bedaquiline wasn't always accessible to people in developing nations who face the extremes of poverty and live in crowded living conditions. It is a patented drug, and generic versions cannot be made.

"The real cause of tuberculosis in the 21st century is not a bacteria," said Green in one of his videos. "It's human-built systems. It's human choice."

After taking to his public platform to raise awareness about the renewal of the bedaquiline patent held by Johnson & Johnson. John worked alongside other TB researchers and advocates, going as far as to make a presentation at the United Nations to inspire change. He advocated for J&J to remove their patent, so more affordable generic versions could be created. He even wrote an opinion article for the Washington Post called "Why is a curable disease still allowed to kill millions?", and went on to create social media posts and stir up conversations across globe.

And here's the thing -- it worked!

Only a short time later, John posted: “Takes real guts to live up to your credo, Generic bedaquiline WILL BE AVAILABLE in almost every country with a high tuberculosis burden.”

Author & YouTuber John Green at the United Nations high-level meeting on the fight against TB, emphasizing the collective potential to create a better world over the next decade, free from TB-related deaths. (Photo Credit)

Here's the thing, just because TB kills doesn't mean that those who are afflicted live without value. Conversation, attention and courage can change lives.

In part three we'll talk about what you can do to show up for people living with social prejudice and isolation. But for today, pay attention to a societal perception you might normally overlook, and ask yourself if understanding that human's context better might change the way you respond.