Discrimination and stigma among Tuberculosis (TB) patients in the workplace, communities and even in the healthcare facilities have been rampant. To address this, The Philippine Alliance to Stop TB (PASTB), an advocacy network composed of 18 civil society organizations working on TB, community-based organizations, and TB patient groups seeks to combat formidable stigma and discrimination through a photo exhibit known as Trials and Triumphs: A Photo Exhibit on Coping With TB-Related Discrimination.
The campaign tells the stories of 15 TB survivors who do not only speak about the cost of stigma and discrimination but also show how they have coped with strength and resilience.
“While TB treatment is already a struggle in itself, the acts of discrimination against TB patients worsen the physical pain and transcend to the emotional and mental level, affecting their response to the treatment, their social behavior, and their self-esteem,” said Action For Health Initiatives Inc. (ACHIEVE) Executive Director Mara Quesada. “This exhibit hopes to raise awareness of the costs of stigma and discrimination, and encourage simple behaviors that will combat these,” she added.
For portrait subjects Flax, Nhels, and Maricel, the experience of stigma and discrimination is all too real. Flax recounted during a job application orientation that the superintendent said sarcastically that she didn’t want anyone with TB in the company. “We were handed our schedule for the x-rays but I was hesitant to do this procedure after hearing that statement,” she said. “They didn’t know that I had TB before but because of what happened, I decided not to push through with my requirements, especially when I kept hearing my companions say they don’t accept those with TB.”
Meanwhile, Nhels, who had already finished his medications during this time, retold the story of when he was being talked about in a group chat. “They said not to include me in the organization because I have a contagious disease. That time, it finally sank in what discrimination was all about.”
The same was true for Maricel, who, ironically, was driven away from the health center because, as she was told, she might infect others with TB. “After that incident, I lost hope so I decided to stop seeking medication,” she shared. “Because of that, my TB returned.
However, my churchmates encouraged me to continue, and so I did. A few years later, when I learned that there will be a photo exhibit about stigma and discrimation, I decided to join because as an advocate, I want to help to stop the stigma and discrimation.”
The photo exhibit will soon make the rounds all over the country: Metro Manila- Quezon City; Pasig City; Malolos, Bulacan; Rizal; Cavite; Western Visayas (Region 6); Northern Mindanao (Region 10); and Davao Region (Region XI). Visit https://achieve.org.ph and https://facebook.com/achieve.philippines.inc to get the latest news and updates.
