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Sharecropper's Tuberculosis: Pathologies of Power in a Fatal Outbreak
Bronwen Lichtenstein1, Towanda Pettway1, Joe Weber2
1a Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice , The University of Alabama , Tuscaloosa , Alabama , USA.
Tuberculosis (TB) disproportionately affects marginalized communities due to structural inequalities. Addressing social determinants like racism and economic disparity is crucial for TB control beyond medical treatment.
Area of Science:
- Sociomedical Sciences
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, particularly impacting impoverished populations and regions.
- Farmer's (2003) pathologies of power framework provides a lens to analyze social determinants influencing health outcomes.
Observation:
- A case study investigated a fatal outbreak of TB among African Americans in rural Alabama.
- A mixed-method qualitative approach, including oral history, surveys, interviews, and documentary analysis, was employed.
Findings:
- Three key pathologies contributing to TB susceptibility were identified: corporate power, land wealth disparities, and structural racism.
- These sociostructural factors create vulnerabilities that exacerbate TB risk within specific communities.
Implications:
- While medical interventions can treat non-resistant TB, effective future outbreak control requires addressing underlying social inequalities.
- Building community trust in the health system and implementing social
- cures
- are essential for long-term TB prevention and management.
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