John Green
Tuberculosis is ancient, curable, and still devastating because the people most vulnerable to it are often the least able to get steady treatment.
Tuberculosis remains extraordinarily deadly even though effective treatments have existed for decades.
The disease's long history shows how quickly societies shift from romanticizing illness to stigmatizing the poor people most affected by it.
TB is unusually hard to eliminate because it can remain latent for years and requires strict, uninterrupted treatment once active.