Epicenter of Modern TB Crisis (04:08)

FREE PREVIEW

Tuberculosis kills 100,000 people per year in South Africa. Hilda has been on treatment for a month. She works in the suburbs and may have passed TB to others before she was diagnosed.

TB Treatment (02:27)

At the Nyanga Community Health Center, a nurse prescribes Pholiswa 40 injections of streptomycin within two months and another six months of pills. Her daughter Elitha gets tested for the virus.

MDR TB (03:24)

Ricardo Hansen cares for his children after his wife was detained at the Jose Pearson Hospital, which she says is like a prison. Zelda Hansen is afflicted with a multidrug-resistant strain of the disease.

Halting the Spread of Tuberculosis (04:55)

The Enhanced Case Finding Team of the Desmond Tutu TB Center uses role play to encourage people to come in for testing. Droplet nuclei transmit the airborne bacteria to healthy people through coughs and sneezes. Pholiswa begins her daily injections and is cautioned on potential side effects.

Lack of Patient Compliance (04:22)

People who do not follow the full medical protocol are more likely to relapse with a stronger strain. Thubila, aka "DJ Shark," gets tested for TB. Government officials detain MDR patients at the Jose Pearson Hospital in Port Elizabeth; Hansen stays isolated in the Sunshine Wards.

Patients in Quarantine (00:0-1220)

XDR-TB is highly contagious. Zelda finds isolation in the Sunshine Wards at Jose Pearson Hospital unbearable. Ricardo describes how the government arrived and re-interned his wife.

Church of Scotland Hospital, Tugela Ferry (03:11)

Dr. Tony Moll describes changes implemented at the hospital that made treatment an outpatient procedure. In the 1990s, TB was thought to be nearly under control, and then the HIV epidemic hit and TB rates rose.

Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (05:40)

Dr. Moll describes how he discovered an outbreak of XDR TB. Over 45 countries have patients afflicted with this resistant strain of the disease. Patients are happier at home receiving medication.

Questioning Treatment Regiment (04:30)

The government of South Africa forces patients with drug-resistant forms of TB into quarantine. A nurse agrees to change Zelda's medication dosage when she complains of side effects. Taking the drugs intermittently allows the bacteria to build resistance.

Elitha's Test Results (02:16)

More than 100,000 children die every year from TB. Pholiswa's daughter's test is negative; the hospital provides antibiotics to prevent infection.

Visiting Jose Pearson Hospital (05:27)

Ricardo spends time with Zelda alone while their children wait at the gate. Thubila's test results are negative for TB, but the Enhanced Case Finding Team advocates an additional test. Zelda has a few moments with her children before they leave.