Tatiana – Moldova
Tatiana was born in Moldova in 1995. She was first diagnosed with drug-resistant (DR-TB) in July 2011 when she was 16 years old. Her doctors believe that close contact with an uncle suffering from TB resulted in Tatiana’s infection. Following diagnosis, Tatiana was immediately started on treatment. Although Tatiana’s medical care was prompt and thorough, she has not completed treatment for DR-TB unscathed.
One of the health workers responsible for Tatiana’s care failed to maintain the confidentiality of Tatiana’s treatment information. This led to stigma and discrimination from Tatiana’s neighbors and classmates, from the staff at her school, and from her parents’ co-workers. Finally, Tatiana has suffered both vision and hearing loss as a result of her treatment with second-line drugs. TB regimens with fewer side effects would greatly reduce the long-term impact of TB on children like Tatiana.
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