2012 Book Award Finalist
Maxim Dondyuk
Ukraine

 

TB Epidemic in Ukraine
 

In 1995, the World Health Organization declared a tuberculosis epidemic in Ukraine. Over the past 16 years the situation has greatly worsened. Each day TB takes the lives of 30 people, amounting to 10,000 people annually.

Gennady, 49 years old, diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB and HIV. Donetsk TB dispensary, December 23rd, 2010. According to his wife, he worked at the mine. In 2007 pulmonary tuberculosis was discovered. He didn’t finish the treatment and started to drink alcohol. In 2010, acute abdominal pain appeared. Numerous ulcers had formed in the bowels as a result of intestinal tuberculosis. After another operation all the sutures on his stomach opened because of multiple ulcers. The doctors told that he could probably live just a couple of days. The family decided to take the dying man home. He was walking around the apartment and bawling during the whole month with an open wound on his stomach. The wife had to beg doctors to take him to the hospital. He died December 23, 2010, two hours after this photo was taken.
Gennady, 49 years old, diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB and HIV. Donetsk TB dispensary, December 23rd, 2010. According to his wife, he worked at the mine. In 2007 pulmonary tuberculosis was discovered. He didn’t finish the treatment and started to drink alcohol. In 2010, acute abdominal pain appeared. Numerous ulcers had formed in the bowels as a result of intestinal tuberculosis. After another operation all the sutures on his stomach opened because of multiple ulcers. The doctors told that he could probably live just a couple of days. The family decided to take the dying man home. He was walking around the apartment and bawling during the whole month with an open wound on his stomach. The wife had to beg doctors to take him to the hospital. He died December 23, 2010, two hours after this photo was taken.
X-ray room, Zhdanovskaya correctional colony № 3, February 3, 2011.
X-ray room, Zhdanovskaya correctional colony № 3, February 3, 2011.
X-ray room, Zhdanovskaya correctional colony № 3, February 3, 2011.
X-ray room, Zhdanovskaya correctional colony № 3, February 3, 2011.
Isolation ward in TB department. Donetsky investigatory isolation ward, February 2, 2011.
Isolation ward in TB department. Donetsky investigatory isolation ward, February 2, 2011.
Treatment room. Starozburevskaya correctional colony № 7, July 26, 2011.
Treatment room. Starozburevskaya correctional colony № 7, July 26, 2011.
Prisoner Gennady, diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB and HIV. Starozburevskaya correctional colony № 7, July 26, 2011.
Prisoner Gennady, diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB and HIV. Starozburevskaya correctional colony № 7, July 26, 2011.
Konstantin, nickname "Salman", 42 years old, diagnosed with multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV. Kherson TB Dispensary, August 4, 2011. As a child he was beaten by his stepfather, tried to shoot himself, but the bullet had passed through, leaving a blind right eye. After recovering, he began to use drugs. He used drugs heroine for more than 25 years and transported poppies from Western Ukraine. He was sentenced to prison and stopped using drugs. In the second year of incarceration he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He died August 24, 2011.
Konstantin, nickname "Salman", 42 years old, diagnosed with multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV. Kherson TB Dispensary, August 4, 2011. As a child he was beaten by his stepfather, tried to shoot himself, but the bullet had passed through, leaving a blind right eye. After recovering, he began to use drugs. He used drugs heroine for more than 25 years and transported poppies from Western Ukraine. He was sentenced to prison and stopped using drugs. In the second year of incarceration he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He died August 24, 2011.
Distribution of medication. Zdanovsky penal colony №3. February 3, 2011.
Distribution of medication. Zdanovsky penal colony №3. February 3, 2011.
Michael, 63 years old, diagnosed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Kherson TB hospital, July 19 , 2011. He worked as a bricklayer on a construction site. After surgery on his stomach, he went for a checkup and a doctor found spots on his lungs. After this, he was sent immediately to the clinic. He has been treated at regular intervals of 2-3 years since 1983. His reaction to the treatment has become acute, so he always stays in hospital for prevention. His wife died four years ago and he had a stroke. He started to walk using a cane and had problems with his speech. His son buys all his medications and food.
Michael, 63 years old, diagnosed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Kherson TB hospital, July 19 , 2011. He worked as a bricklayer on a construction site. After surgery on his stomach, he went for a checkup and a doctor found spots on his lungs. After this, he was sent immediately to the clinic. He has been treated at regular intervals of 2-3 years since 1983. His reaction to the treatment has become acute, so he always stays in hospital for prevention. His wife died four years ago and he had a stroke. He started to walk using a cane and had problems with his speech. His son buys all his medications and food.
Alexander, 54 years old, mentally ill and diagnosed with tuberculosis. Novotroitsk TB dispensary, July 25, 2011. He was severely beaten and lost his memory. No one could find his relatives. He is anxious and aggressive. When TB treatment is over, he will be sent to an asylum.
Alexander, 54 years old, mentally ill and diagnosed with tuberculosis. Novotroitsk TB dispensary, July 25, 2011. He was severely beaten and lost his memory. No one could find his relatives. He is anxious and aggressive. When TB treatment is over, he will be sent to an asylum.
Nikolay, 66 years old, diagnosed with tuberculosis. Novozburevsky TB Dispensary, August 16, 2011. He used to work driving a combine in Kazakhstan. He has no relatives or children. He lived in a nursing home and, during a medical examination, was diagnosed with tuberculosis and transferred to the dispensary. He broke his leg and could not get up. All his belongings and documents have disappeared from the ward. He is not able to receive a pension. He is being treated for a second time. He considers the nursing house as a concentration camp and is afraid to go back.
Nikolay, 66 years old, diagnosed with tuberculosis. Novozburevsky TB Dispensary, August 16, 2011. He used to work driving a combine in Kazakhstan. He has no relatives or children. He lived in a nursing home and, during a medical examination, was diagnosed with tuberculosis and transferred to the dispensary. He broke his leg and could not get up. All his belongings and documents have disappeared from the ward. He is not able to receive a pension. He is being treated for a second time. He considers the nursing house as a concentration camp and is afraid to go back.
I met Gena in their courtyard, sitting on a bench. He told me that he has had TB for six years and has no idea how he got it. He worked on a fishing boat in Kamchatka. After receiving a letter from his mother saying she was dying, he returned home. He couldn`t find a job and started drinking. He returned to fishing and earns his bread. A week later we met in the hospital. All week he was drinking vodka heavily. As time passed, the disease progressed and Gena started using a walking stick. In the hospital I met his mother, it turned out she was alive and well, but she had to sell her belongings and gather bottles for recycling to be able to pay for her son’s treatment and food. Gennady (Gena), 42 years old, died of multidrug-resistant TB and HIV on October 12, 2011.
I met Gena in their courtyard, sitting on a bench. He told me that he has had TB for six years and has no idea how he got it. He worked on a fishing boat in Kamchatka. After receiving a letter from his mother saying she was dying, he returned home. He couldn`t find a job and started drinking. He returned to fishing and earns his bread. A week later we met in the hospital. All week he was drinking vodka heavily. As time passed, the disease progressed and Gena started using a walking stick. In the hospital I met his mother, it turned out she was alive and well, but she had to sell her belongings and gather bottles for recycling to be able to pay for her son’s treatment and food. Gennady (Gena), 42 years old, died of multidrug-resistant TB and HIV on October 12, 2011.
The corpse of Gena in the morgue. There is a note on his arm tied with a bandage, "Soloviyov Gennadiy, died on the 12th of October at 08:30".
The corpse of Gena in the morgue. There is a note on his arm tied with a bandage, "Soloviyov Gennadiy, died on the 12th of October at 08:30".
Mother and the close friends of Gena at his funeral. October 14th, 2011
Mother and the close friends of Gena at his funeral. October 14th, 2011
Gena's mother and friend mourn her dead son. October 12th, 2011
Gena's mother and friend mourn her dead son. October 12th, 2011