Treatment of tuberculosis in Turkey in terms of medical ethics

Abstract

Having a history as old as the history of humanity, Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious disease and it is regarded as an important a public health problem not only for its medical aspect but also for its social and ethical aspects. As a result of the discovery of the cure for TB and the improvement of humans' living conditions, the TB problem was believed to be solved and a relaxation in the battle against TB was observed around the world by 1980s. World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of emergency for the battle against TB in 1993. According to the "Global Tuberculosis Control 2014" which was published by WHO, TB remains one of the world's deadliest communicable diseases. This article argues that tuberculosis is one of the most important neglected topics in medical ethics as regards individual obligations to avoid infecting others, coercive social distancing measures, third-party notification, health workers' duty to treat contagious patients, and justice.The purpose of this article is provide a picture of the current situation of TB treatment in Turkey in terms of medical ethics.