Treating tuberculosis in North Korea. The experience of Eugene Bell Foundation

• Main Author: Avram Agov
• Format: Article
• Language: Catalan
• Published: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona 2015-07-01
• Series: Tiempo Devorado
• Subjects: : north korea, eugene bell foundation, tuberculosis, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, treatment, humanitarian, ngo
• Online Access: https://revistes.uab.cat/tdevorado/article/view/25

<p>Tuberculosis, often referred to as “the disease of the poor”, spread in North Korea as a result of the severe decline in the country's socio-economic conditions in the 1990s. This article examines tuberculosis treatment in North Korea through the prism of the humanitarian work of the Eugene Bell Foundation (EBF), which spearheaded an international effort to help the population of the Democratic People’s Republic (DPRK) cope with the humanitarian crisis. In recent years, the EBF has devoted its treatment program to drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is the deadliest strain of the disease. The Foundation’s experience in this field offers a unique perspective on North Korea’s relations with non-governmental organizations. The EBF’s work in North Korea and its relations with officials and tuberculosis patients highlight the difficulties and challenges in managing humanitarian projects in the country. This case study shows, however, how people-to-people exchanges are an effective way to engage North Korea toward positive outcomes in dealing with specific problems in the humanitarian field. In particular, the EBF acts as a connecting node in a complex institutional and human network involving the two Koreas, the United States, and other countries</p>