Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
Tuberculosis is the subject of much Western 18th and 19th century romantic art, however, contracting TB is still an all to real threat for millions around the world. Why is TB a problem only for some, and not all?
Most people in the United States never have to worry about getting Tuberculosis. After reading this book, one can expect to enhance their perspective on how certain populations of people suffer disproportionately from not only tuberculosis, but all diseases, and why.
Tuberculosis has been a curable disease since 1943, when the antibiotic streptomycin was discovered. Yet, TB is still one of the leading causes of death around the world, with multi-drug resistant TB looming as an increasingly worrying public health threat, already impacting large populations of people. Why is it so easy for people living in the U.S. and Europe to forget this? Why is it that TB has become largely viewed as a fanciful disease of antiquity? John Green’s book answers these questions and more as he untangles the history of TB and pulls back the curtain on the current state of TB in the world.
Of course, there is no one “kind” of person who can get infected by TB—anyone at any age can contract this disease, including people living in the U.S. However, not everyone has the same likelihood of getting TB. Only 3.3% of global TB infections in 2024, around 10.4 million, were diagnosed in the Americas, while 34% and 25% occurred in South East Asia and Africa, respectively. Over 80% of cases and deaths are in low and middle income countries.
In Green’s book, he makes the argument that Tuberculosis is no longer caused just by the bacteria that infects people, but by the human choices that allow for TB to continue to be as devastating as it is. Green’s historical narrative of TB is intertwined with a personal account of a young boy he met in Sierra Leone, Henry, and his battle with TB. The story Green writes, both of TB’s deadly trace through history and of Henry’s life, is deeply compassionate and emotional. Green reminds us that when we hear about disease rates—the abstract numbers that can sound impossibly large—there is an individual behind each one, a person with a life and hopes and dreams as real as any of our own.
Tuberculosis, and many other curable and preventable diseases, need not be another cause of human suffering and loss. Yet, here we are. Reading John Green’s book will allow you to understand how we got to this point, which decisions our society is making today that allow this to continue, and shines a light on the pathway towards a better future for all. Ultimately, this book is one of human hope and perseverance. It can be frustrating to learn about the inequity that allows people to suffer needlessly, but Green reminds us that the future is not set in stone, and there are real concrete steps we can take to make things better. Everyone deserves a chance to live a healthy life. We can choose to be a part of the effort to provide that chance.