News & Insights

Kathy has worked with tuberculosis (TB) and public health since the early 1990s. Early in her career, she realised that TB is not only an infectious disease. It is also a social disease that develops on top of other pressures in people’s lives: poverty, overcrowded housing, poor ventilation, dusty working conditions and lack of proper nutrition. 

Blessina (“Blessi”) Kumar is CEO of the Global Coalition of TB Advocates (GCTA). For nearly two decades, she has championed a people-centred, rights-based approach to tuberculosis (TB), focusing on ensuring that people affected by TB are included in decisions that shape policies and programmes.

At this year’s Union World Conference on Lung Health in Copenhagen, AJ Vaccines had the privilege of speaking with Ani Herna Sari – a two-time tuberculosis (TB) survivor, advocate and chairperson of Rekat Peduli Indonesia, who also works with The Global Fund.

While advances in diagnostics and treatment have made significant progress, one critical barrier to seeking medical attention remains the: stigma around this infectious disease.