Tuberculosis: The Airborne Disease Displacing Many Inuit – The Link

Limited Health Resources in Nunavut Push Those Fighting TB to Migrate South for Treatment

March 5, 2019

Coughing up blood, aching all over, chills and fatigue, all while fighting a fever—these are the symptoms of the airborne disease tuberculosis.

Now imagine fighting these symptoms while resting in a poorly insulated and overcrowded house, shared with other people, some of whom are also fighting TB. If you want treatment, the best option is trekking hundreds of kilometres south, leaving behind your community for an unforeseeable amount of time.

This is the reality for many Inuit living in Nunavut. Nunavut is home to one main hospital, located in the capital Iqaluit; the hospital has 35 beds available, and provides aid to approximately 16,000 people in the Qikiqtani (Baffin) Region—home to 12 communities.

Read More: https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/tuberculosis-the-airborne-disease-displacing-many-inuit