Haydar Abdullah, 30, English teacher, was diagnosed with mutlidrug-resistant tuberculosis since 2019, after being tested in the MSF run clinic at the National Tuberculosis Institute. He’s eligible to the short version of the new oral treatment since November 2020, lasting only 9 months with 14 to 18 pills per day.
National Tuberculosis Institute, Baghdad Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq.
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Haydar's testimony:
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My name is Haydar Abdullah. I’m 30 years old and I’m from Baghdad (Iraq). I’m an English teacher and a private tutor. In 2019, I was diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). At that time, I had no idea what this disease was.

When the medical staff at the National Tuberculosis [Institute] in Baghdad explained it all to me, I was surprised to learn how serious tuberculosis (TB) was and how long it would take to treat it. They informed me that I was eligible to be enrolled in a new treatment course that involved taking oral drugs, took a shorter amount of time and was better than the old regular treatment that consisted of injections. I wanted to get treated as soon as possible and I was hopeful, so I agreed to it.

I started the treatment in 2020, which consisted of taking 14-18 pills every day. The reason why I was taking so many pills was because my treatment regimen was the short one, which is for 9 months. There is also a longer regimen which lasts for 18 months. At the beginning, I also had to isolate myself and not mix with my family in order to not infect them.

In the first two weeks of my treatment, I was hopeful. I was telling myself that this was good and that I would quickly get better. But after that, I started losing my appetite. I couldn’t eat any meals and the pills were becoming hard to swallow. I also couldn’t walk a lot as I would get tired fast. Sometimes, the pain in my body would be so strong that I would start crying. I also couldn’t recall everything as I would experience memory gaps. Because of all this, I lost one of my main sources of income, as I couldn’t give private lessons anymore.

I was so upset, and I wanted to run away and just leave everything behind. My mother feared for me and worried that I would do something that I would regret later, so she kept all my documentation with her. I had understood that I could die from this disease, and I was only hoping that God would forgive my sins.

Thankfully, the people from the clinic were constantly in contact with me, checking on me and making sure that I was taking my medication and wouldn’t quit the treatment. They had told me it would be difficult from the start, but they really encouraged me and gave me the will to stick to it. I wasn’t convinced at that time but now I realize that if it wasn’t for their optimism and encouragement, I would’ve given up on myself a long time ago. I’m forever grateful for the support they gave me.

In the third month of my treatment, I slowly started getting better. I would go to the countryside and try to work out with friends and they would encourage me. That helped me a lot and I started feeling much better. The pills were a bit easier to take and I started gaining some weight again. From that point on, things only improved.

Looking back, I think I was gifted another life and I’m grateful for everything that happened. I was a smoker and I was able to quit because of this disease. And before I knew I had TB, I was about to start studying for a master’s degree. I left it because I wasn’t in good shape, but now, I’m feeling ready and I’m happy that I will be able to study again.