TB8217;s bacterium is a menacing misogynist

NEW DELHI, June 8: For a tiny germ, the tuberculosis bacterium takes a huge financial and human toll. It is the leading single infectious cause of female deaths in the world. Nine hundred million are infected worldwide, killing over one million women every year and accounting for more than 2,700 women dying of TB each day, recent data from the World Health Organisation WHO shows.

The international research meet on TB and gender in Gothenburg, Sewden, found that TB is now the single biggest infectious killer of young women in the world, more than all causes of maternal mortality combined. With India having the dubious record of registering the maximum numbers of TB deaths and infected people 8212; mainly between the ages of 15 and 44. This makes TB largest killer of young adults and the single leading cause of deaths among women of reproductive age in this country.

But what is more horrifying is that these facts hardly touch public sentiments. Dr Paul Dolin, WHO8217;s Global Tuberculosis Programme, at the meetsaid, quot;Wives, mothers and wage earners are being cut down in their prime and the world isn8217;t noticing. Yet, the ripple effect on families, communities and economies will be felt long after a woman has died.quot;

According to the WHO estimates, women in their reproductive years have a higher risk of developing active TB than men of the same age. However, Dr Rohit Sarin, the former national advisor on TB to the Government of India, feels that this kind of gender bias is unfounded. quot;We are conducting a research on this area. Though it is pre-mature to comment on that, there is no indication till now that women get less medical attention than men in this country,quot; he said.