Challenges in tuberculosis management in Peru and England

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious but preventable and largely treatable disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although there is evidence that the UK incidence remains stable, rates of the disease, particularly in some London boroughs, remain high, earning it the unenviable title of the 'tuberculosis capital of Europe'. In March 2014 Public Health England published a consultation document on a collaborative strategy for tackling tuberculosis in England. This highlights a growing concern surrounding the issue. In the 1990s, Peru's tuberculosis epidemic saw the country listed among the Pan-American Health Organisation's top 23 countries of heaviest burden. Since then overall rates, although remaining significantly higher than those of the UK, have fallen dramatically. This article uses the observations of a BSc Nursing student undertaking an international elective in Peru to highlight some of the challenges faced by nurses in managing TB and draws parallels with those faced in the UK.