The People Behind the Numbers: Dr Padmasayee Papineni on TB Care, Stigma & Social Support Artwork

The TBPod

The TBPod is a podcast for clinicians and policymakers caring for patients with tuberculosis. The podcasts present discussions with expert clinicians, researchers, policymakers and advocates about their work in the field of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and is an important contributor to morbidity among migrants arriving in Australia and New Zealand. There are around 1300 reported cases of TB in Australia each year, and a further 300 in New Zealand. Included in these figures are cases of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB which pose significant barriers to treatment and management of the disease. The Australian government has committed to the global elimination of TB by 2030, but to do so requires the development of innovative new strategies, based on high-quality research, that has national and international reach. These podcasts aim to engage and update those who are interested in the field of tuberculosis through discussions with leaders in the field of tuberculosis.

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The TBPod

The People Behind the Numbers: Dr Padmasayee Papineni on TB Care, Stigma & Social Support

April 21, 2026 • Actnet

0:00 | 30:09

Dr Padmasayee Papineni, Consultant and Co‑Clinical Director in Infectious Diseases at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, joins Dr Jack Callum to discuss the lived experience of tuberculosis care through narrative medicine. The conversation centres on her 2022 Lancet Wakley Prize–winning essay “Directly Observed Therapy,” which follows socially vulnerable patients navigating TB alongside poverty, migration, and precarious housing.

Dr Papineni challenges narrow, paternalistic interpretations of directly observed therapy, arguing instead for a model grounded in compassion, social support, and multidisciplinary care, and reflects on how storytelling can restore humanity to statistics-driven global health narratives.