Tuberculosis can often hide in other parts of the body than the lungs in children, and therefore cannot be detected by x-ray. It often spreads in lymph glands, sometimes in bones or in the intestines. Symptoms might resemble other paediatric diseases, and kids are often inappropriately treated. Tuberculosis then progresses and may result in severe health conditions or even death.



Mahina is infectious and therefore must stay in the Paediatric TB hospital in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, together with other children. Even though they are sick, they still might be considered as the lucky ones, as their tuberculosis has been diagnosed and they are able to get treatment and have the chance to become completely cured. Before, kids needed injections of amikacin and capreomycin. They were very painful and usually had side effects such as hearing loss. Other medicines had side effects such as dizziness, vomiting or diarrhoea. Newly recommended drugs by WHO that Tajikisan started to use have very little side effects.