Paper short abstract:

This paper counters top down approaches to health by bringing out the patient's voice and knowledge around tuberculosis and illness management in East London.

Paper long abstract:

This paper ethnographically explores the tuberculosis (TB) situation among migrant communities in East London. East London is currently the TB capital of Western Europe, predominantly due to large numbers of migrants coming from countries with a high burden of TB, who continue to face health inequalities once arrived.

Das argues that most global health strategies insufficiently address the regional variation of where and how people live, and that the experience of illness is directly related to these practical conditions. To redress this, she argues for a focus on 'what is happening on the ground in relation to the health of the poor' (Das, 2015: 185). Further, current NHS policies advocate that the voices of those who are 'experts by experience' (NHS, 2014: 12) can actively contribute to and control the direction and provision of their care.

In light of these theoretical and policy driven directives, this paper addresses the following questions:

• What knowledge bases and resources do migrant communities have for illness management, care and recovery?

• What barriers impede TB recognition, diagnosis, and compliance with treatment amongst migrant communities in East London?

• What is an acceptable way for public health practitioners to reach out to and engage with migrant communities regarding their health?

Through the experiences and voices of those bearing the disease and of those caring for TB sufferers, whether formally or informally, this paper elaborates on how migrant knowledge bases can better shape the priorities for health-care delivery systems.