CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Department of Health (DOH) called for the prioritization of response efforts against tuberculosis (TB) amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In an Online Regional Media Forum organized by DOH and the United States Agency for International Development TB Platforms in partnership with Philippine Information Agency, DOH Central Luzon Center for Health Development National Tuberculosis Program Nurse Coordinator Geliza Recede underscored that TB remains as one of the life-threatening diseases.
“Based on the recent studies of the World Health Organization, the Philippines still has a high TB burden. In Central Luzon, about 69,250 individuals were estimated this year to be infected by TB with approximately 3,000 mortalities,” she said.
Of the total number of TB cases, about 2,215 individuals could acquire drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) which makes a person resistant to TB drugs.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the detection of TB cases as the number of presumptive TB patients tested for diagnosis decreased during the lockdown.
Recede stressed that only 11,000 TB cases and 222 DR-TB cases were detected from January to June due to the diversion of health workforce and disruption of diagnostic workforce.
“This 2020, we are expecting more or less 69,000 cases in Central Luzon, but in reality, we still need to screen, test and treat about 50,000 individuals to avoid the transmission of TB,” she said.
“We call for the support of our decision makers to increase local funding for TB programs and monitoring of the progress. We call for our TB patients and survivors to speak up and demand for better services,” she noted.
Moreover, she encouraged influencers, household contacts and citizens to support TB programs and help decrease stigma and discrimination.
Other possible interventions include proper communication with people affected by TB and all stakeholders, availability of multiple months of TB medicines in the patients’ homes and use of appropriate digital adherence and support tools.
Also, psycho-social, nutritional and economic support to people with TB, and ensuring the health and safety of all TB care providers.