TB Alert
Encyclopedia
TB Alert is a charity working to raise awareness about and support effective treatment of the disease tuberculosis
in the UK and internationally. It was registered in 1998 and launched on World Tuberculosis Day
in 1999 in response to the resurgence of tuberculosis
(TB) in the UK and worldwide. It is headquartered in Brighton
.
Their mission is to increase access to effective treatment for all.
The organisation works towards this by:
to patients and lobbying for improvements to the existing treatment and support provided by the NHS
. Although TB Alert provided funding and administrative support to the group, decisions on its specific activities are taken by its members, who are typically current or former TB patients, or have been affected by the illness of someone close to them.
in the UK. Examples of their activities in this area include:
and partnered with TB Alert in the UK. It was founded in 2004. Projects include the establishment of microscopy
centres to aid diagnosis
, education programmes about TB and the increased risk in conjunction with HIV
infection, training DOTS
providers and supporting other NGOs with established links to local communities to help raise awareness in those communities. Work is focussed on Andhra Pradesh
, which projects also running in Dehli, Bihar
, Uttar Pradesh
and Madhya Pradesh
.
, Jharkand. With support from TB Alert the hospital has established facilities for the free diagnosis and treatment of TB, serving mainly local subsistence farmers
and their families.
n charity based in Lusaka
to train volunteers to provide treatment, support and counselling to patients in their local community. Workshops are also run for community leaders, informing them about TB
and HIV
and the work that Bwafwano does.
province, where rates of TB and HIV are high and infection carries a powerful social stigma
. Chichetekelo uses adults who have been cured of TB as outreach partners, visiting villages and speaking in centres such as schools or churches about their experience. They address myths and misconceptions surrounding TB and spread the message that TB is a treatable disease.
, TB Alert supports the TB services at Murambinda hospital in Buhera District. The hospital is owned by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
. Recent economic turmoil
in Zimbabwe has placed enormous pressure on healthcare services, as well as leaving the population more vulnerable to tuberculosis infection through lack of proper nutrition
.
Emeritus Professor of Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis, University of Edinburgh Sir John Crofton was knighted in 1977 for his contributions to TB control. As Professor of tuberculosis and respiratory disease in Edinburgh (where TB was the leading cause of death in young people) in the 1950s, Sir John led the team responsible for bringing TB under control in only 6 years – 1/3 of the time predicted. This was the first demonstration of mass control of TB, and his no-nonsense “Edinburgh method” was subsequently instituted in 23 European countries. An indefatigable pioneer and international physician, Sir John has been a leader in the work of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international bodies, a celebrated author and an influential teacher. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) awarded Sir John the organisation’s highest award, The Union Medal, which recognises outstanding contributions to the control of tuberculosis and lung disease, on October 19, 2005. Never one to slow down, to the end of his life at the ripe age of 97 Sir John continued as an inspiring worker in the field of tuberculosis and tobacco control, and fundraising tirelessly on behalf of TB Alert. He will be sadly missed.
, Doctor and past President of the General Medical Council
. He was one of the first patients to be treated with streptomycin
.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
, South African activist and Nobel Peace Prize
winner.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in the UK and internationally. It was registered in 1998 and launched on World Tuberculosis Day
World Tuberculosis Day
World Tuberculosis Day, falling on March 24 each year, is designed to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease...
in 1999 in response to the resurgence of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
(TB) in the UK and worldwide. It is headquartered in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
Vision, mission and approach
The stated vision of TB Alert is the control and ultimate eradication of TB.Their mission is to increase access to effective treatment for all.
The organisation works towards this by:
- raising awareness of TBTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
- emphasising the importance of working with people most affected by or vulnerable to TB
- supporting patients to help them complete their treatment
- addressing TB/HIV co-infection
- focusing on building capacity, leadership, responsibility and knowledge of TB within existing community structures
- working with a diverse range of partners including civil society, health care providers, TB clinics and national/regional TB programmes
- providing technical and financial support so that local NGOs and CBOCommunity organizationCommunity organizations are civil society non-profits that operate within a single local community. They are essentially a subset of the wider group of nonprofits. Like other nonprofits they are often run on a voluntary basis and are self funded...
s can integrate TB into their existing programmes - advocating for greater effort in the fight against TB
TB Action Group
The TB Action Group (TBAG) is a group of people with an interest in promoting awareness of TB in the UK, providing peer supportPeer support
Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained supporters, and can take a number of forms such as peer mentoring, listening, or counseling...
to patients and lobbying for improvements to the existing treatment and support provided by the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
. Although TB Alert provided funding and administrative support to the group, decisions on its specific activities are taken by its members, who are typically current or former TB patients, or have been affected by the illness of someone close to them.
Raising awareness
A key element of TB Alert's work in the UK is making medical professionals and the general public aware of the continued existence of tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in the UK. Examples of their activities in this area include:
- providing leaflets and posters for use in doctors' waiting rooms
- responding to requests for information from the media, patients and medical professionals
- mounting exhibitions
- providing speakers at medical and nursing conferences
- producing detailed leaflets about treatment and clinical issues for use by patients and healthcare professionals
Patient support
In recognition of the fact that many TB patients come from the poorer sections of society and may find this a barrier to completing treatment, a patient support fund is available to provide small grants. The money can go towards costs such as bus fares to attend appointments or nutritious food to support recovery.TB Alert India
TB Alert India is registered separately in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and partnered with TB Alert in the UK. It was founded in 2004. Projects include the establishment of microscopy
Microscopy
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye...
centres to aid diagnosis
Medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
, education programmes about TB and the increased risk in conjunction with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infection, training DOTS
Dots
Dots is the plural of dot.Dots may also refer to:*Dots , produced by Tootsie Roll Industries*Dots and Boxes, a pencil and paper game for two or more players*Dots - another pencil and paper game...
providers and supporting other NGOs with established links to local communities to help raise awareness in those communities. Work is focussed on Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, which projects also running in Dehli, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
.
Nav Jivan Mission Hospital
Nav Jivan Mission Hospital (NJMH) is situated in Palamu DistrictPalamu District
Palamau is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India. The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.-Geography:The district lies between 23°50′ and 24°8′ north latitude and between 83°55′ and 84°30′ east longitude...
, Jharkand. With support from TB Alert the hospital has established facilities for the free diagnosis and treatment of TB, serving mainly local subsistence farmers
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
and their families.
Bwafwano
TB Alert has provided support enabling Bwafwano, a ZambiaZambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n charity based in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
to train volunteers to provide treatment, support and counselling to patients in their local community. Workshops are also run for community leaders, informing them about TB
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and the work that Bwafwano does.
Chichetekelo Outreach Partners
TB Alert provides funding for this project in the poor KabweCentral Province, Zambia
Central Province is one of Zambia's nine provinces. The provincial capital is Kabwe, home of the Mulungushi Rock of Authority, founder home of UNIP, the ruling political party in the second republic ....
province, where rates of TB and HIV are high and infection carries a powerful social stigma
Social stigma
Social stigma is the severe disapproval of or discontent with a person on the grounds of characteristics that distinguish them from other members of a society.Almost all stigma is based on a person differing from social or cultural norms...
. Chichetekelo uses adults who have been cured of TB as outreach partners, visiting villages and speaking in centres such as schools or churches about their experience. They address myths and misconceptions surrounding TB and spread the message that TB is a treatable disease.
Zimbabwe
In ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, TB Alert supports the TB services at Murambinda hospital in Buhera District. The hospital is owned by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
Sisters of the Little Company of Mary
The Little Company of Mary is a Roman Catholic religious institute of women dedicated to caring for the suffering, the sick and the dying. The order was founded in 1877 England by Venerable Mary Potter....
. Recent economic turmoil
Economy of Zimbabwe
The economy of Zimbabwe has shrunk significantly after 2000, resulting in a desperate situation for the country and widespread poverty from among others 94% unemployment. The participation from 1998 to 2002 in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo set the stage for this deterioration by...
in Zimbabwe has placed enormous pressure on healthcare services, as well as leaving the population more vulnerable to tuberculosis infection through lack of proper nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
.
Honorary President
Sir John CROFTON 1912 - 2009.Emeritus Professor of Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis, University of Edinburgh Sir John Crofton was knighted in 1977 for his contributions to TB control. As Professor of tuberculosis and respiratory disease in Edinburgh (where TB was the leading cause of death in young people) in the 1950s, Sir John led the team responsible for bringing TB under control in only 6 years – 1/3 of the time predicted. This was the first demonstration of mass control of TB, and his no-nonsense “Edinburgh method” was subsequently instituted in 23 European countries. An indefatigable pioneer and international physician, Sir John has been a leader in the work of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international bodies, a celebrated author and an influential teacher. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) awarded Sir John the organisation’s highest award, The Union Medal, which recognises outstanding contributions to the control of tuberculosis and lung disease, on October 19, 2005. Never one to slow down, to the end of his life at the ripe age of 97 Sir John continued as an inspiring worker in the field of tuberculosis and tobacco control, and fundraising tirelessly on behalf of TB Alert. He will be sadly missed.
Patrons
Lord (Robert) Kilpatrick of KincraigRobert Kilpatrick, Lord Kilpatrick of Kincraig
-Life:He is a member of the House of Lords since 1996. There he sits as a crossbencher.Having suffered from tuberculosis when younger and been one of the first patients to be treated with the antibiotic streptomycin, Lord Kilpatrick is now a patron of the charity TB Alert.-References:-Sources:*...
, Doctor and past President of the General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
. He was one of the first patients to be treated with streptomycin
Streptomycin
Streptomycin is an antibiotic drug, the first of a class of drugs called aminoglycosides to be discovered, and was the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis. It is derived from the actinobacterium Streptomyces griseus. Streptomycin is a bactericidal antibiotic. Streptomycin cannot be given...
.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
, South African activist and Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner.
External links
- Official website
- TB Action Group webspace
- Charities Commission Registered charity number 1071886