MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) will boost its active case-finding efforts for tuberculosis after recording around 160,000 fewer cases than the World Health Organization's (WHO) estimate in 2023.
In a statement on Friday, March 28, the DOH said the lower number of recorded cases suggests that many Filipinos with tuberculosis remain undocumented and likely untreated.
The 2024 WHO Global Tuberculosis Report estimated the country's tuberculosis incidence at around 739,000 cases, or nearly 643 cases per 100,000 Filipinos in 2023.
It also found that the Philippines has the fourth-highest number of tuberculosis cases in the world.
Meanwhile, the DOH said its TB Information System had only logged 575,770 cases of tuberculosis that year.
“The Philippines ranks fourth in the world for the highest number of new tuberculosis cases each year. We must remove ourselves from this list,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in Filipino.
Beyond the issue of undocumented tuberculosis cases, the agency reported that 100,237 patients either failed to return for treatment or were not properly diagnosed.
“The DOH is intensifying active case finding to identify tuberculosis patients and ensure they complete their treatment,” it said in Filipino.
What is tuberculosis? Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs but capable of spreading to other organs. According to the DOH, individuals with an inactive infection may not feel sick, show symptoms or transmit the disease. However, it can become active over time.
Pulmonary tuberculosis specifically targets the lungs, with symptoms including a chronic cough, fever, night sweats, chest pain, weight loss, loss of appetite and coughing up blood. A person with active tuberculosis can spread the bacteria through airborne droplets released when coughing, sneezing, shouting or spitting.
The disease is treatable with a prescribed drug regimen that must be taken consistently without interruption, typically lasting six to eight months.
This is why the health department stressed that annual check-ups and continuous treatment are necessary for tuberculosis patients, as completing the full course of medication significantly improves treatment success rates.
“Patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis are more difficult to treat and require stronger and longer treatment,” DOH said in Filipino.
The DOH aims to lower the rate of new tuberculosis cases each year to 300 for every 100,000 Filipinos by 2030.
As part of its efforts to curb the infection rate, the agency conducted X-ray and health screenings across various regions in line with World Tuberculosis Day, which was held on March 24.
An estimated 5,599 individuals underwent chest X-rays within just seven to eight hours of the activity.
It is also intensifying campaigns to encourage early diagnosis, adherence to treatment and greater awareness of the disease. The government has also allocated funds to provide free medicines for patients with tuberculosis, Herbosa said.