This study addresses the social, cultural, and economic components
of TB control by tendering a broadened perspective of disease management that
complements and enhances current biomedical protocols. Through semistructured
interviews it was possible to examine the socio-economic influences
that direct the health-seeking behaviour of TB patients and explore the economic
consequences o f ill-health fo r patients and their families. By adopting a social
role as a volunteer instructor a local peer health education programme, an
additional objective encompassed the promotion of TB prevention and education
in rural and urban communities in the Gambia. This rapid assessment could be
used with other social science research as a foundation for modifying current TB
protocols to better suit the needs of the patients and their families. The findings
presented here underscore the need for wider multidisciplinary perspectives that
include the holistic experience of illness for vulnerable populations.