The World Is a Cruel Place

 “TB is both a form and expression of injustice.”

In Everything is Tuberculosis, author John Green reminds lucky American readers like me about one of the biggest privileges that they enjoy in this world: specifically, middle-class Americans have an exceptionally low chance of contracting TB. Further, if they do become infected, American medical care improves their chances of getting over the terrible symptoms, which were so familiar in earlier centuries.

Consider this summary of the statistics about deaths caused by TB:

“Just in the last two centuries, tuberculosis caused over a billion human deaths. One estimate…maintains that TB has killed around one in seven people who’ve ever lived. Covid-19 displaced tuberculosis as the world’s deadliest infectious disease from 2020 through 2022, but in 2023, TB regained the status it has held for most of what we know of human history. Killing 1,250,000 people, TB once again became our deadliest infection.” (p. 84)

In this rather short book, Green manages to survey the effects of TB throughout history, and its current ravages throughout the world. His perspective is broad, including medical information, social history, and cultural factors about the disease. He provides insights by telling several personal stories about historic figures, members of his family, and a young TB patient named Henry whom he met in Africa as he collected information for the book. 

Here is the conclusion of the book: “We cannot address TB only with vaccines and medications. We cannot address it only with comprehensive STP [search, treat, prevent] programs. We must also address the root cause of tuberculosis, which is injustice. In a world where everyone can eat, and access healthcare, and be treated humanely, tuberculosis has no chance. Ultimately, we are the cause. We must also be the cure.” (p. 183)

From the World Health Organization website:

”In 2024, an estimated 10.7 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women and 1.2 million children and young adolescents. TB is present in all countries and age groups. TB is curable and preventable” (Source: 10 facts on tuberculosis, 13 November 2025)