TB is the single biggest killer of young women
According to the World Health Organisation TB accounts for 9% of deaths among women between the ages of 15 and 44. In comparison: war accounts for 4% of deaths of women in that age-group, HIV 3% and heart disease 3%.
Women of reproductive age are more susceptible to develop active TB disease once infected with TB than are men of the same age.
In India – deaths from TB are 27-41% higher among young women and children 5-24 years compared to males the same age. (research by Gender and Health group, LiverpoolSTM, LATH, Liverpool VCT, Reach Trust, Lilongwe)
TB Case detection is much lower in women than men because....
- Women delay seeking care so as not to use precious family resources
- Women are missed by health promotion programmes (they tend to stay at home rather than come to workshops) and therefore have a lower awareness of TB symptoms
- Women are often scared to tell family they might have TB due to potential rejection
- Women in some families can't leave the home without explaining where they are going, but are too afraid to say they want to go to a TB clinic
- Women wait up to twice as long to seek treatment - waiting until they are severely ill and more likely to die.
TB Alert works with our projects to ensure that issues of gender are very high priority...
|
Women are encouraged to volunteer as Peer Educators - telling other women about their experiences with TB
Workshops or events are designed so that there is a separate area for women where necessary if they do not feel comfortable discussing issues in front of men.
Awareness raising is focussed not only on the symptoms and treatment for TB but on breaking down barriers of stigma and discrimination. |
Read about women and TB in Bangladesh
Read a newsweek article about gender and access to healthcare
|
