We recently conducted a comprehensive, multilingual analysis of social media conversations regarding tuberculosis, focusing on insights from Japan, the Philippines, India, and Peru. Initially, we sifted through over 3 million posts from 1 million authors, but after narrowing our focus to consumer discussions, we analyzed 363,522 posts by 176,977 individuals from these countries, spanning from September 2022 to September 2024.
Globally, tuberculosis affects approximately 10.6 million people annually, including 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women, and 1.3 million children. Despite being both curable and preventable, tuberculosis remains pervasive worldwide, claiming about 1.3 million lives each year* and potentially infecting up to 2 billion people**.
Our data collection leveraged advanced social intelligence software to capture multilingual, public digital and social media interactions from platforms like Facebook, Reddit, forums, blogs, video comments, and news sites. Initially examining 16 countries, we honed in on the four with the most robust public dialogue about tuberculosis. Even after adjusting for population differences, Japan and India emerged as leaders in conversation volume, followed by Peru and the Philippines.
Japan alone accounted for more than a third of all discussions, with over 130,000 posts. Sentiment analysis revealed a predominantly positive tone across these countries, though there was a noticeable contrast between the Asian nations—Japan, the Philippines, and India—and the South American country of Peru.
The sentiment drivers varied by country:
Japan
Exhibited a high positive sentiment of 91.3%, possibly due to strong public trust in healthcare systems, effective public health campaigns, and recent advancements in TB management and treatment.
Peru
Displayed a lower positive sentiment at 48.9%, which may reflect mixed public reactions stemming from challenges in healthcare access, TB management, or public awareness efforts.
India: Showed 68% positive sentiment, driven by successful TB control programs and improvements in healthcare infrastructure, although significant negative sentiment persists due to ongoing challenges, particularly in rural areas.
Philippines
Had the highest positivity at 81.4%, likely reflecting effective public health strategies, community support, and the successful integration of TB services with other healthcare initiatives.
Interestingly, our analysis noted a significant uptick in discussions from 2022 to 2023, with a slight decline in 2024, though still higher than in 2022. The conversation was notably prevalent among the youth, with the under-18 demographic over-indexing by 0.58% followed by the 18-24 age group at 0.51%, indicating that tuberculosis is a particularly salient issue among younger populations.
In terms of gender distribution, males dominated the public discourse on tuberculosis, a rare occurrence as women typically are more vocal about health issues both personally and within their families. This unique finding underscores the broad and unique impact of tuberculosis across different demographics.
Our extensive analysis of public conversations about tuberculosis in Japan, the Philippines, India, and Peru provides crucial insights into the global perception and sentiment surrounding this infectious disease. From September 2022 to September 2024, we captured a snapshot of how tuberculosis is discussed among the public through a focused review of 363,522 social media posts by 176,977 individuals. Despite tuberculosis being a preventable and curable disease that affects over 10.6 million people worldwide, our findings suggest a robust dialogue with varied sentiments across different regions.
Japan led the discussions with over 130,000 posts, reflecting a highly positive sentiment (91.3%), likely due to strong public health initiatives and trust in the healthcare system. Conversely, Peru showed a more mixed response with a 48.9% positivity rate, possibly indicating issues in healthcare access or public health strategy effectiveness. India and the Philippines also showed significant engagement with the topic, with sentiments of 68% and 81.4% positive respectively, pointing to active public health communications and community engagement efforts.
Our study highlights the importance of continuous social intelligence monitoring to gauge public awareness and attitudes toward health issues like tuberculosis. This approach not only helps in understanding public sentiment across different cultural contexts but also aids in tailoring public health responses to enhance engagement and effectiveness of health communication strategies. By tracking these conversations over time, stakeholders can better address the gaps in public health strategies and improve the overall response to tuberculosis globally.
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*World Health Organization 7 November 2023
**Centers for Disease Control TB Overview Fact Sheet 2024
