CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Governor Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda commended efforts of ASCENT (UnitAid Support Coalition) in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) National TB Program (NTP) and KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation for choosing Pampanga as one of two provinces in the country to implement the use of digital adherence technology (DAT).
At a Sept. 17 virtual meeting with key global and in-country stakeholders, Dr. Imelda Ignacio of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said that the governor is optimistic about the research project as he “desires’’ to end TB and curtail drug-resistance with the use of digital adherence technology (DAT).
“The governor recognizes that in participating in the use and evaluation of this innovation, we break new ground: as we ride the wave of digital technology and connectivity, we make a big leap in making a difference in the lives of TB patients and inpatient care management,’’ Dr. Ignacio said.
She added: “With the use of DAT to support treatment adherence and completion, Gov. Pineda looks forward to better health outcomes for his constituents who have TB.’’
According to Dr. Ignacio, the governor draws inspiration from his mother’s efforts to end TB in Pampanga but also intends to make his own mark by taking advantage of DAT.
Gov. Pineda also believes that the use of DAT will reduce transportation cost and time allocated for clinic visits particularly in this time of pandemic, Ignacio said.
DAT will likewise “pave the way to placing TB patients at the center of TB care provision, putting teeth to the patient-centered care approach espoused by the Philippine Strategic Tuberculosis Elimination Plan Phase 1 (2020-2023), the government’s roadmap to addressing the country’s high TB burden.’’
Representatives from KNCV Headquarters Hague, Netherlands, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK, Everwell in India, Global Fund-PBSP, DOH Central Office, WHO Country Office, DOH Central Luzon, KNCV Philippine Office, province/city/municipal health officers, and Rural Health physician/Chief of Hospital met online last Friday in a randomization activity to prepare for scale-up of the DAT intervention as a component of the country’s standard care for TB treatment.
The ASCENT project will evaluate three types of DAT for their effectiveness in improving medication adherence. These types of technology — medication sleeve, small pill box and video supported treatment — will be available in the participating health care facilities in the province at no additional costs to the patient. This specific technology will be explained and guided by the health care worker.
During the virtual activity, the stakeholders also assigned all 64 ASCENT Philippine study health facilities to three groups — two intervention arms (16 sleeve, 16 box) and standard of care arm (32 control).
Pampanga’s TB control program has progressed significantly in the last six years with an improved treatment success rate from 91 per cent in 2014 to 93 per cent in 2019, according to data from the Department of Health Regional Office 3 (DOH-3).
Despite an effective cure through Directly Observed Treatment (DOT), TB remains a major global health concern, killing over 4,000 people every day.
In 2018, the Philippines was among the four countries that accounted 50% of TB cases worldwide. At least 26, 000 Filipinos have died of the disease, while 591, 000 fell ill with TB.
In Pampanga, for the 3rd quarter of 2020, there are 2, 739 reported drug-sensitive TB cases and 92 reported cases of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, all under treatment.