Every six months, Give2Asia features several projects that require immediate funding in their Greatest Needs catalogue. These projects have been vetted by Give2Asia and then broken into scalabe sizes for donors to invest in. The purpose is to showcase needs in the region, highlight the work that local, on the ground, organizations are doing and then provide a mechanism for those that choose to act.
Partner: Metta Development Foundation.
Cost: $55,000 creates 5 new TB centers and helps treat and educate hundreds who are infected or at risk.
The Challenge. Burma has one of the highest prevalence rates of tuberculosis (TB) in the world with an estimated 1.5% of the population becoming infected each year. Of the 120,000 case that are identified, a high percentage are among those living with HIV/AIDS due to their compromised immune systems. Lack of education and awareness has also resulted in misuse of TB drugs, which leads to increased prevalence of drug-resistant strains of TB. The Director General of the World Health Organization has identified drug-resistant TB in Burma as an “explosive situation.”
Kachin State, one of Burma’s most rural and remote areas, survives primarily on mining and logging. Because of its rich natural resources, Kachin attracts economic migrants from other areas of Burma looking for work. Mining camps and migrant traffic make Kachin a high risk area for both TB and HIV/AIDS. Lack of awareness about TB is compounded by illegal drug use and sex work. In 2008, the number of deaths in the area doubled for people co-infected with HIV and TB.
Continue reading "Greatest Needs: Protecting Communities from the Spread of Tuberculosis in Burma" »

