Tuberculosis on the decline in the last 10 years – Duque

The Philippines is one of the 22 high-burdened countries with tuberculosis based on the World Health Organization Watch List, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

But the Philippines, Duque said, has improved its ranking in the Watch List – from 7th to 9th.

While tuberculosis, which is now the 6th leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the Philippines, he cited its decreasing trend as observed by health experts.

He said the burden of TB disease in the country has declined over the past 10 years since the launching of the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) in 1986,and the other programs of the Health Department.

Due to this, the department and other anti-tuberculosis groups have been advocating DOTS in both government and private institutions in increasing treatment success rate.

The Health chief said the people and the communities must be empowered to vigorously promote research studies to improve DOTS implementation.

Almost 400 task forces have been created through the World Vision Development Foundation, Inc., and Holistic Community Development and Initiatives, Inc., to empower the community to take part in TB control, mainly as treatment partners.

At present, the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHealth) has issued DOTS certification and accreditation to 765 and 507 health facilities, respectively.

“From all indications, our country is set to conquer its Millenium Development Goal by 2015 [of reducing tuberculosis cases by 50 percent],” pointed out Duque.

He said all the department’s efforts are making headway in pushing the country closer to the realization of the MDG.

The other strategies lined up by the department to stop and control tuberculosis in the country, along with partner agencies, are the enhancement through strong political commitment and increasing the National TB program budget five-fold, addressing multi-resistance TB, TB/HIV and other diseases.

He said Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB will be addressed by establishing treatment and culture centers in 10 regions.

He likewise said a TB multi-resistant referral center will also be erected at the Lung Center of the Philippines compound in Quezon City.

The Health secretary recently led the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Referral Center for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis, which is expected to be finished in early 2010.

A person develops MDR if he does not complete tuberculosis treatment, such that treatment of which is prolonged and more expensive.

Duque related that for 2009, facilities in 10 regions will be capacitated to provide access to tuberculosis services with support from the Global Fund through the Tropical Disease Foundation. Laboratory enhancement will be done with the National TB Reference Laboratory.

Global Fund portfolio manager Inga Olesky announced they will give the Philippines another grant of almost $90 million in its TB program due to its excellent performance in the fight against the said disease. The country has earlier been a recepient of $25-million grant from the said foundation.

Duque also said services in the urban poor areas have been enhanced through the involvement of the Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, TB-HIV collaboration in Metro Manila has been started and will expand to other cities for wider coverage.

The health systems will also be strengthened by integrating training at national and local levels to improve efficiency of service delivery.

Likewise, there will be improvements of TB information system through the implementation of Electronic TB register with the DoH-National Epidemiology Center (NEC).

Another strategy is engaging all healthcare providers through the continuous involvement of the private sector, though the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis, to improve access to services and other sectors in the Comprehensive and Unified Policy to Control TB.

Duque revealed that the private sector has contributed 5-6 percent in the number of smear positive cases detection since 2004 up to the present.

Meanwhile, Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the DOH’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, stressed that TB is curable  if patients would only undergo proper and adequate treatment. –Macon Ramos-Araneta, Manila Standard Today