In addition to battling the health impacts of this airborne disease, teenagers are forced to cope with the stigma attached to TB, as well as balancing their school work on top of all of this.

This three part video series tells the story of Sinethemba Kuse, a 17-year-old student and XDR-TB patient living in Khayelitsha. It documents her diagnosis, treatment and survival of one of the hardest-to-cure strains of tuberculosis with the help of her grandmother, TB councillors, friends and doctors. It culminates in a celebration of her survival for World TB Day through collaborative artwork made out of word stamps related to this disease, which is the biggest killers in South Africa today.

“Often the adolescents are very motivated and are really brave in taking their treatment, a lot braver than us adults.,” says Dr Anja Reuter from Doctors Without Borders. Follow Sinethemba’s story to understand why.

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This story first featured on YOTV’s Blue Couch show on 28 March 2017. 

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