The story of Henry, Eziekel, tuberculosis and the world
"Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it." Extract from Everything is Tuberculosis.
In a powerful and deeply moving contribution to global health advocacy, bestselling author John Green released his latest book Everything Is tuberculosis a few days before World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025. This book is a bold, unflinching exploration of TB throughout history and its often-invisible grip on communities around the world. In Everything is tuberculosis, Green draws readers, and potentially the world, into the life of Henry, a young man that he met in Sierra Leone, connecting his life and story navigating TB treatment with science, history, and a powerful call to action.
Everything is tuberculosis arrives at a critical moment in the global efforts to end TB and other global health threats, a worldwide funding crisis.
By amplifying the voices of those affected by TB and presenting the disease not just as a medical issue, but as a social and political one, Green’s narrative aligns closely with our approach: putting people first. The story of Henry and the many others illustrated by Green do more than just educate, they insist that we need to care.
His story brought back vivid memories for many of us who worked in TB care during the late '90s and early 2000s.
Dr. Mustapha Gidado, KNCV TB Plus Executive Director recalls a story from his own time working as a physician in Nigeria. In it, he recalls treating Eziekel, a patient with symptoms eerily similar to Henry's, with a different outcome: Eziekel lost his life, a reminder of the human cost of late diagnosis, and the urgency of comprehensive quality care.
The photo below was taken when Eziekel had already endured more than two years of TB treatment elsewhere before arriving at this healthcare facility. When he was received, he was provided with all the care and support possible from the nurses, medical team, and external supporters. Dr. Emmy van de Grinten and her husband Bart, helped the team to access some medications and care for Eziekel for another two years through IDA Foundation. As mentioned by Dr. Gidado, Eziekel lost his life despite all these efforts. "One evening, he suddenly coughed out his lungs and blood", remembers Dr. Gidado.
Eziekel, his mother, the nursing team, and Dr. Mustapha Gidado, proudly wearing the DOTS shirt, the key TB strategy at the time.
Eziekel didn’t fail. The system did. What he needed was early, accurate diagnosis and timely, effective treatment which simply wasn’t there when it could have saved his life.
As TB continues to claim over 3 lives per minute, despite being preventable and curable, we hope this book serves as a catalyst for renewed public and political interest, and pressure for change. Advocacy begins with awareness, and Everything is tuberculosis is a compelling call for both.
We encourage everyone, health professionals, educators, students, and policymakers to read this book, share it, and support your local organizations in their efforts to end TB in our lifetime.
Thank you, Henry and John Green, for putting the story on the map.
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