John Oliver

Yeah, I'm super opposed to tuberculosis, it's true. I'm a little confused why everyone else isn't. Feels like it should be kind of a universally held opinion. But yeah, I was traveling in Sierra Leone in 2019. I didn't even know that tuberculosis was still a thing, to be honest with you. When I was in Sierra Leone in 2019 and I was asked to go to a TB hospital there.

Yeah, I'm super opposed to tuberculosis, it's true. I'm a little confused why everyone else isn't. Feels like it should be kind of a universally held opinion. But yeah, I was traveling in Sierra Leone in 2019. I didn't even know that tuberculosis was still a thing, to be honest with you. When I was in Sierra Leone in 2019 and I was asked to go to a TB hospital there.

And when I was there, I met a kid named Henry, which is also my son's name. And through knowing Henry and following his story, trying to recover from drug-resistant tuberculosis over the next five years, I really, I wouldn't say I fell in love with the disease. I guess I fell in hate with it, you know? Yes.

And when I was there, I met a kid named Henry, which is also my son's name. And through knowing Henry and following his story, trying to recover from drug-resistant tuberculosis over the next five years, I really, I wouldn't say I fell in love with the disease. I guess I fell in hate with it, you know? Yes.

And so that's where this book came from, was from wanting to tell Henry's story of his ultimate story of survival and also wanting to tell the story of the fact that this disease is not history. It's present.

And so that's where this book came from, was from wanting to tell Henry's story of his ultimate story of survival and also wanting to tell the story of the fact that this disease is not history. It's present.

That's right. It's the deadliest infectious disease in the world. And unfortunately, as a direct result of decisions made by our government, that number is going to go up instead of going down. It's been going down for the last 20 years, which is something we can be really proud of. The U.S. has long been the most generous funder of TB response, but that's changing with the dismantling of USAID.

That's right. It's the deadliest infectious disease in the world. And unfortunately, as a direct result of decisions made by our government, that number is going to go up instead of going down. It's been going down for the last 20 years, which is something we can be really proud of. The U.S. has long been the most generous funder of TB response, but that's changing with the dismantling of USAID.

And as a direct result, I think the estimates are that within two years, we might see two million people dying instead of over a million.

And as a direct result, I think the estimates are that within two years, we might see two million people dying instead of over a million.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, ultimately, we've known how to cure this disease since the 1950s. And so the problem can't be a bacterium called M. tuberculosis, right? I mean, the bacteria is hard to kill. It's a tough disease to treat. But my brother had cancer a couple of years ago, and that's also a hard disease to treat. And nobody at any point said to my brother, I'm sorry, but it just doesn't make sense.

Yeah, ultimately, we've known how to cure this disease since the 1950s. And so the problem can't be a bacterium called M. tuberculosis, right? I mean, the bacteria is hard to kill. It's a tough disease to treat. But my brother had cancer a couple of years ago, and that's also a hard disease to treat. And nobody at any point said to my brother, I'm sorry, but it just doesn't make sense.

It's not cost effective. to treat your cancer. They treated his cancer. They cured his cancer. He's here with us today. And that should be the story of everybody who lives with a disease like tuberculosis. It's hard to cure, but it's not impossible to cure. We can achieve cure rates of over 95%. We do that in the United States, and we should be doing it globally.

It's not cost effective. to treat your cancer. They treated his cancer. They cured his cancer. He's here with us today. And that should be the story of everybody who lives with a disease like tuberculosis. It's hard to cure, but it's not impossible to cure. We can achieve cure rates of over 95%. We do that in the United States, and we should be doing it globally.

And the fact that we aren't really is kind of a mark of shame on humanity, I think.

And the fact that we aren't really is kind of a mark of shame on humanity, I think.

Yeah, I wish I could write an extra chapter now.

Yeah, I wish I could write an extra chapter now.