South Africa: In the Line of Duty

In 2006, the outbreak of an almost untreatable form of TB in Kwa-Zulu Natal struck fear in the public health community. TB is an airborne disease which is spread by coughing, sneezing or simply talking. It's usually curable, but decades of a poorly run TB Control Programme has resulted in an explosion of new and lethal strains of drug resistant TB. Failure to curb infection has seen the number of TB case sky-rocket and among them are doctors and nurses.

In 2002, Nerissa Pather was a dedicated young doctor when she got TB. Today she's bedridden and in permanent pain.

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