As World Tuberculosis Day approaches on March 24, we had a chat with Dipanpreet Kaur – a TB survivor, global health advocate, and one of the passionate volunteers driving Results Canada's campaign to end tuberculosis once and for all.
Author, student, volunteer ambassador, that’s Dipanpreet. A global health advocate at heart, she has been volunteering with Results Canada for the past two years, serving as a Brampton Group Leader and is also a Results Canada Fellowship program alumni! But what makes Dipanpreet's advocacy uniquely powerful is something deeply personal: she is a TB survivor, and that lived experience is at the core of everything she does.
Dipanpreet was just five years old when she was diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Beyond the physical toll of the disease – nine months of treatment with very high doses of medication – she faced something that too many TB patients still encounter today: stigma.
"Friends and even teachers looked at me differently, as if I had done something wrong," she recalls. She had to leave school for a month, navigating an experience that was, in her words, "confusing, isolating, and deeply impactful." But it also planted the seeds of resilience that define who she is today.
When asked what surprised her most about TB advocacy, Dipanpreet didn't hesitate: it's how stubborn stigma remains – and how powerfully personal stories can break it down.
"When people hear a real experience, perspectives change," Dipanpreet says. "Advocacy isn't always loud or immediate, but it is deeply transformative over time."
Today, Dipanpreet advocates for an end to TB in every way she can. She uses social media to raise awareness and reach broader audiences, writes emails to her decision makers, including her own Member of Parliament, and advocates alongside other TB survivors in Canada and aboard – creating safe spaces where people can feel supported, help normalize conversations around the disease, and push for progress in the global fight against this disease.
"I believe in sharing my story and highlighting that TB is both curable and still the world's deadliest infectious disease," she says. For Dipanpreet, advocacy is about more than policy – it's about dignity. "I want people to know that having TB is not something to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong."
"Working alongside Results Canada allows my voice to be stronger, bolder, and more impactful – especially when advocating for systemic change," she explains. She firmly believes that diseases like TB can be defeated with awareness, funding, and political will, and Results Canada gives her the tools and community to pursue exactly that.
For Dipanpreet, World TB Day every March 24 carries deep personal meaning. Seeing landmarks and monuments light up red across the world moves her every year. "It symbolizes unity, hope, and the belief that TB can be stopped," she says. "It makes me believe that even small actions – raising awareness, sharing stories, showing solidarity – are helping shift mindsets and create real impact in our communities."
This year, you'll find Dipanpreet and fellow Results Canada volunteers at the Toronto Sign as it lights up red. Want to join them? Reach out to action@resultscanada.ca to learn more.
Join us in the fight to end TB and address other issues that impact global poverty by becoming a volunteer.
