TB kills 75 Filipinos daily

BAGUIO CITY — Tuberculosis is killing 75 Filipinos daily, even with the adoption eight years ago of a treatment considered the most effective by the World Health Organization (WHO), a non-government organization said.

The Reach Out Foundation International, quoting Department of Health (DOH) reports, said 200 out of every 100,000 Filipinos are TB-positive.

There are about 250,000 new TB cases reported every year, two-thirds of whom do not seek professional treatment, the foundation said.

According to the DOH, TB is the fourth leading cause of death among Filipinos and the sixth leading cause of illness in the country.

In terms of TB cases, the Philippines ranks seventh worldwide and second in the Western Pacific Region, it added.

Despite the government’s modern treatment, Reach Out said stigma and misconceptions about TB continue to hinder the campaign to minimize, if not totally stop, the spread of the disease.

A study, which the foundation commissioned, showed that widespread myths and misconceptions about the disease as well as the lack of awareness of its symptoms and prevention, all contribute to the high TB incidence in the country.

For instance, some Filipinos believe that TB can be cured only in a hospital, that a TB patient is no longer contagious after six months of medication, that a person will be cured of TB after two to three years of medication, and that the most effective test for TB is through X-ray of the lungs.

The most effective test, according to Reach Out, is actually sputum examination to confirm the infection since there are cases where a person’s X-ray shows lung shadows but the sputum is negative of tubercle bacilli.

The foundation said TB can be cured even at home and that the patient does not have to be confined or keep coming back to a medical facility to be cured of the disease.

A patient can no longer infect others only after three weeks of proper treatment if medications taken by the patient comply with a physician’s instructions, and that it only takes six months, not years, of proper medication for a TB patient to be completely cured, Reach Out said.

Nonetheless, Reach Out said the success of the country’s TB treatment has significantly improved since 1996 when the DOH adopted the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course, or DOTS, for TB positives under its national tuberculosis program.

DOTS requires the participation of a "treatment partner" to monitor the patient’s daily intake of drugs and how he or she responds to treatment.

The method is now available in government clinics in 66 out of 77 provinces, and in a few private health facilities.

There are also about 3,000 TB diagnostic facilities all over the country.

The government has tie-ups with various agencies and organizations primarily to support DOTS, including Reach Out Foundation, which has been doing advocacy work, with funding from the US Agency for International Development, to raise Filipinos’ awareness of the TB problem and erase the stigma associated with the disease.

Early this year, a multisectoral alliance led by the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis adopted a comprehensive and unified policy for tuberculosis control.

The alliance is tapping the support of other government departments, private health professionals and agencies such as PhilHealth, the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System and the Employees Compensation Commission.

The government has earmarked P5.5 billion for the anti-TB program over five years (2001 to 2005). The bulk of the budget will go to personnel, drugs and activities increasing TB detection and cure rates.