Previous
Chapter 21
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Everything Is Tuberculosis, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Science and Injustice
History’s Influence on the Modern Day
Family and Community
Stigmatization and Dehumanization
Nuance, Empathy, and Understanding
Summary
Analysis
While vicious cycles very much exist, as this book has shown, virtuous cycles are just as present in everyday life. One of these cycles began in the 1990s, when the DOTS program was first implemented in South America. Although this approach was failing, as there were no available treatments for those with drug-resistant TB, Partners In Health (PIH) sought to make a change and began treating drug-resistant TB. Their efforts were incredibly successful, with over 85 percent of patients being cured. Furthermore, PIH worked to develop generic alternatives to TB-fighting antibiotics which would be cheaper and more accessible. While Johnson & Johnson attempted to stop this in India, two TB survivors and activists successfully challenged the corporation in court; generic antibiotics were then produced in India.
By directly contrasting vicious cycles with virtuous cycles, Green emphasizes both the injustice that remains in TB treatment and the positive progress that has been made in recent years. The alliterative nature of these terms further strengthens the fact that these occurrences, both positive and negative, interact and are intertwined with each other. Additionally, Green highlights the power of organizations as well as individuals in the fight against TB; just as PIH made positive changes in the treatment of TB in poor countries, so did two TB survivors.
Active
Themes
For a time, Johnson & Johnson was still able to price gouge other poor countries, but, thanks to the work of activists and global health organizations, generic antibiotics became widely available. Despite all this progress, certain drugs are still expensive and inaccessible for two reasons: pharmaceutical companies keep prices unnecessarily high, and doctors are concerned about furthering antibiotic resistance. But “this is a human-manufactured problem that needs a human solution,” Green writes, noting that we have every capability of making TB treatment accessible to every human on earth and that it should be our shared priority. As these past virtuous cycles have shown, this is a more than real possibility.
Such positive progress doesn’t negate the continued injustice connected to tuberculosis. Once again, the co-existence of vicious and virtuous cycles is emphasized. That being said, these cycles are not inherent to humanity; in citing the success of organizations and TB survivors, Green maintains that even more positive change can be made in the fight against TB.
Active
Themes
After being discharged, Henry returned to high school and was later admitted to the University of Sierra Leone, an incredibly prestigious institution. A GoFundMe aided Isatu in rebuilding her business and buying her and Henry a new home. This alone reveals humanity’s propensity for generosity when we are aware of those in need. Henry has also turned to making YouTube videos about himself, his experience with TB, and his community, with equipment from Green himself. Henry and Green are still in contact, and Henry has also become a close mentor to Green’s son who shares his name.
