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Faces of the Fight

Stories of people battling tuberculosis, the world's biggest killer among infectious diseases.

By The Global Fund

September 25^th, 2018

More people die today of tuberculosis than of any other infectious disease, and it affects the most marginalized, the poorest amongst us, those without a voice. The world has an historic chance to rise together and defeat once and for all a preventable, treatable and curable disease that killed 1.6 million people last year. TB touches real people and communities across the globe, often in their prime of life. They have names and faces. Here are some of their stories, and those of people taking tangible steps to drive progress.

Click on an image, then click again on the enlarged photo to proceed to the story.

“I like to play football with my friends.”

“I was in so much pain, my feet were swollen, I couldn’t stand – until these two visited me.”

“The treatment is hard. You have to be strong. I don’t know what keeps me strong. I just know it’s necessary to be cured, to have the will to live”

“It’s necessary to believe.”

"Tomorrow can be different."

“When I enter their homes they call me by my name: ‘Shahina…Shahina’.”

“TB reference managers come here, we train them, we mentor them, and we challenge them. — “TB reference managers come here, we train them, we mentor them, and we challenge them."

"Why do we let this happen? The blunt answer is that TB affects the most marginalized, the poorest amongst us, those without a voice."

"With political commitment, resources will be found."

“I spend most of my time with my family. I don’t feel comfortable around others because they treat me differently. — “I spend most of my time with my family. I don’t feel comfortable around others because they treat me differently."

“I was afraid I would never be healthy again. — “I was afraid I would never be healthy again."

“My dream is to have everyone understand how honorable it is for us to work for those that are suffering.”

“Every person I can help makes my own experience a little less painful.”

“I was coughing up blood and had lost a lot of weight. I am now completing my treatment and I feel much better. — “I was coughing up blood and had lost a lot of weight. I am now completing my treatment and I feel much better."

Footnotes

Many thanks to UNDP and Stop TB Partnership for their contributions.

FootNotes

Many thanks to UNDP and Stop TB Partnership for their contributions.

© 2026 The Global Fund

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