Why does TB Alert work overseas – surely it is more cost effective to sort out the UK problem first?
TB Alert is active in poor countries like India because TB cannot be controlled in one country (eg the UK) unless it is controlled worldwide. With holiday and business destinations including more and more developing countries, and plane travel so easy, it is impossible to prevent TB from entering one country. It is an airborne disease – if you can breathe you can catch TB – we all need to be aware of it! Even if we stopped all travel into this country – whether through immigration or by preventing UK citizens traveling to poor countries, we still could not prevent it. Many people in this country were infected with TB when it was much more rife here, or have been infected abroad in the past. Although they are healthy and non-infectious, if their immune system were to break down – due to stress, old age or other diseases, the TB could become active – making them ill and able to pass it on others.
