Tuberculosis: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

The fact that the World Health Organization has declared tuberculosis a "global emergency" indicates the serious inadequacy of the ways in which the control methods at our disposal are used. Several books on tuberculosis have been published in recent years, but none have taken a deep and detailed look at the "holistic" aspects of global tuberculosis control, even though international agencies are increasingly aware of the importance of the numerous factors other than the design and efficacy of therapeutic drug regimens. This unique book fills that gap. Although it deals specifically with tuberculosis, the principles outlined and discussed are relevant to many other areas of global medicine, including the ever-growing problem of HIV/AIDS.The book is aimed principally at those involved in the design, establishment and management of disease control programmes at international, national and local levels, and also at a more general readership of epidemiologists, public health officers, community psychologists, and others interested in understanding the human dimension of disease control.

Introduction to tuberculosis and its control - the global burden of tuberculosis, J.M. Grange; the politics of tuberculosis - the role of process and power, G. Walt; public health and human rights - the ethics of international public health interventions for tuberculosis, P. Pronyk and J. Proter; the current international structure - tuberculosis in high-prevalence countries - current control strategies and their technical and operational limitations, K. Jochem and J. Walley; involving the private medical sector in tuberculosis control - practical aspects, M. Uplekar; tuberculosis treatment from the patient's perspective - social and economic dimensions of treatment-seeking for tuberculosis - the economics of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment, S. Foster; socio-cultural dimensions in tuberculosis control, S. Rangan and M. Uplekar; gender issues in the detection and treatment of tuberculosis, P. Hudelson; alternative approaches and future directions - tuberculosis and health sector reform, E. Tayler; educational approaches in tuberculosis control - building on the "social paradigm", T. Narayan and R. Narayan. (Part contents)