At a Congolese Clinic
by Margarite Nathe
Tuberculosis patients in many African countries must trek to the nearest clinic every day for what doctors call Directly Observed Treatment. Clinic staff watch patients take their medications to make sure the patients swallow the pills in the right combination and order. The World Health Organization says Directly Observed Treatment may help control the spread of TB and prevent drug resistance.
A baby with tuberculosis is weighed at the clinic. Carolina tuberculosis researcher Annelies Van Rie says the percentage of TB patients who are children is relatively small, but many children who are infected with TB are also HIV-positive. Photo by Liesbeth Bernaerts; ©2008 Endeavors. [+] enlarge image
