Sunday, April 1, 2007
Speaking Out Against Stigma: How Marin Busuioc Became the Face of TB Control in Romania
Marin Busiouc became a spokes-
person for TB control in Romania
By speaking out about his success in overcoming TB, Marin Busuioc has become the face of TB control in Romania, and one of DOW’s important partners in battling the epidemic.
Busuioc, a member of Romania’s sizable Roma community, was born in a small village and grew up living in poverty, with little education or access to opportunities. At age 70, he was diagnosed with TB.
“It was very difficult for me,” confesses Busuioc when speaking about his diagnosis in 2003. “I didn’t have an appetite. I had vertigo, fever, and I lost weight. It wasn’t the real me any longer…I thought I would die.”
Weak and with his conditioning worsening, Mr. Busuioc went to the hospital for treatment. “I followed the treatment very carefully and I got well completely,” he says. “My advice for TB patients is to go to the doctor urgently, as I did.”
Mr. Busuioc’s message may seem obvious, yet in Roma communities there is often little knowledge about the causes of and cure for TB, even though Roma suffer disproportionately from the disease. And all too often, people living with TB face stigma and discrimination.
In 2004, DOW launched a major health education campaign in Roma communities to spread the word that TB is preventable and curable, and to break down the barriers that often prevented people from seeking and receiving treatment. Mr. Busuioc became the “Poster Man” of the Project to Improve Roma Health in Romania, a DOW information, education, and communication campaign to TB in Romania. He shared his experience fighting TB in DOW-produced entitled “TB Can Be Cured!” In the film, Mr. Busuioc informs and encourages viewers with the knowledge that TB can be treated and cured.
The film was created to spread the word in the Roma community that TB can be both prevented and cured. It was also designed to combat the stigma that prevents many from seeking treatment. DOW’s strategy was to involve the target community itself in disseminating the message about TB. The film was used to launch discussions in the community through sessions led by DOW’s Roma Peer Health Educators (PHE). Mr. Busuioc effectively related his story in the film and at key advocacy events, and in the process became a charismatic spokesman about TB. The film was shown to nearly 15,000 persons in various Roma communities. In addition to the education campaign, Roma PHEs help their communities know the signs and symptoms of TB so those infected can access treatment, new infections can be prevented, and patients can receive support while they complete their therapy.
Mr. Busuioc’s words are clear and simple, yet vital to the success of Romania’s battle against TB: “TB can be cured. It’s a fact!”