18% increase in TB treatments, more funding essential to ending TB

BY CHERYL M. LUIS

DESPITE the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary of Health Francisco T. Duque III announced on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day last March 24, 2022 that the Department of Health (DOH) reported an 18 percent increase in tuberculosis treatment rate among diagnosed Filipinos in 2021, as compared to 2020.

According to the national TB registry, the department recorded 311,000 TB cases in 2021, up from 263,000 cases in 2020. Previously, the impact of the pandemic and tightening of regulations led to the second-largest decline in yearly notifications between 2019 and 2020, seeing a 37 percent drop. The DOH went on to say that as the country moves into the “new normal,” and limitations loosen, it wants to strengthen TB detection and treatment tactics even more.

“The increase in treatment signifies our efforts to bring TB care back. Moving forward, we must intensify TB prevention and control efforts as part of the integrated delivery of health services. Let us now focus on the main agenda that the treatment for tuberculosis is now within reach. The Department, with the help of all stakeholders, aims to launch renewed efforts to integrate holistic health services and advocate for a TB Free Philippines,” underscored Secretary Duque.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines is one of the 16 countries where essential TB-related services were seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, provision of services reportedly fell, comparable with the level recorded globally in 2012, with Philippines, India, and Indonesia being the most affected.

On March 24, the DOH joined the rest of the world in observing World TB Day. This year’s theme is “Invest to End TB. Save Lives.” The DOH, through the generous assistance of the WHO, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis, recognized top-performing local government units by conferring the Race to End TB Awards. This award highlights the significant contribution of local funding in achieving annual targets of the TB program.

It is important to note nonetheless that in 2021, the WHO stated that 52% still remains to be unfunded from the $314 million funding requirement needed to achieve the goal of TB eradication in the Philippines. Hence, the DOH continues to call on partners from the public and private sector to amplify and integrate research and development efforts for testing and validating new diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines in the fight against TB.

“True to the theme of this year’s World Tuberculosis Day, we recognize that investing to end TB is firstly financial. Nonetheless, investing hard work, emotion, energy, and perseverance are equally as essential as the financial assets needed to end this preventable and curable disease. This year’s theme centers on saving lives which is our core and common goal for our investments.  We should continue to communicate to our partners in both the public and private sectors the need to invest resources to fight TB,” stated Undersecretary of Health Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire.

Cheryl M. Luis is the wife of George N. True II. Like her husband, she advocates health and lifestyle writing and vows to continue “Health Frontiers” as her husband’s legacy./PN