Mine workers in South Africa are subjected to a process known as “sending them home to die”: migrant workers become sick with tuberculosis and HIV and are then fired, denied access to health care, and sent back to their home communities without access to essential medicines. A staggering 760,000 new cases of TB every year are directly linked to this practice (Stuckler, et. al – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516372). As we combat tuberculosis, we must remember that we are not just fighting a bacterium — there are human-made factors contributing substantially to the epidemic in southern Africa. We are utilizing film to document the lives of those living with TB, to raise awareness of the epidemic, and to engage policymakers to end the process of sending miners home to die.
They Go to Die is a documentary under development that raises concerns of TB, HIV, and human rights violations in South Africa’s mining industry through the prism of life, love, and family. Unlike traditional health films, it focuses on relationships and bonding, not simply disease.
We are currently working to build a network of HIV, TB, M(X)DR-TB, and human rights organizations, as well as motivated individuals, in order to increase awareness, promote access to essential medicines, secure financial stability for completion of the project, and most importantly, translate our research into change. If you are interested in supporting the film, please see the film’s information packet here to get to know the project, understand its roots and core values, and overall goals: http://theygotodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/They-Go-to-Die-Documentary-Film-Information1.pdf
For further information about They Go to Die:
www.theygotodie.com
www.facebook.com/theygotodie
www.twitter.com/theygotodiefilm