متوفر باللغة العربية

Social and cultural obstacles confront practitioners trying to control the spread of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB; Nature 493, 14–16; 2013). Removing these barriers will improve adherence to drug regimes and impede the development of drug resistance.

For example, young Asian women with TB may not come forward for treatment because they see it as a threat to their marriage prospects. Alcohol consumption, which is prevalent among some Caucasian patients, can interfere with drug treatments. And recovering patients who return to their jobs, often away from home, may drop contact with health-care providers.

Besides supplying medicines and efficient health-service management, it is vital to promote culturally adjusted messages — in particular, to emphasize why patients with TB must stick to their lengthy treatments.

While waiting for shorter and less-toxic drug regimens to become available on a large scale, non-governmental organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières include socio-cultural support to help promote adherence. This strategy is founded on medical anthropology — the applied study of traditional beliefs and practices relating to illness and health care. Such support helps to ensure effective treatment and follow-up (see, for example, go.nature.com/4b6f9f).