Making Uncertainty: Tuberculosis, Substance Use, and Pathways to Health in South Africa

In Cape Town, South Africa, many people with tuberculosis also use substances. This sets up a seemingly impossible problem: People who use substances are at increased risk of tuberculosis disease; and substance use seems to result in erratic behavior that makes successful treatment of people affected by tuberculosis extremely difficult. People affected don't get healthy, healthcare providers are frustrated, and families seek to balance love and care for those who are ill with self-protection. How are we to understand this? Where does the responsibility for poor health and healing lie? What are the possibilities for an effective healthcare response? Through a close look at lives and care, Making Uncertainty: Tuberculosis, Substance Use, and Pathways to Health shows how patterns of substance use, tuberculosis disease, and their interaction are shaped by history, social context, and political economy. This, in turn, generates new perspectives on what makes poor health, and what good care might look like.

Author: Anna Versfeld
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Published: 02/10/2023
Pages: 190
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.52lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.91w x 0.55d
ISBN13: 9781978822474
ISBN10: 1978822472
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Disease & Health Issues
- Medical | Public Health
- Medical | Infectious Diseases

About the Author
ANNA VERSFELD is an independent South African medical anthropologist. She consults globally on social dynamics of tuberculosis, vulnerable populations, and people-centered healthcare provision.