700,000 Filipinos develop tuberculosis every year – DOH

March 23 ------ Around 700,000 Filipinos nationwide develop tuberculosis every year, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Dr. Ronald Allan Fabella, Global Fund Advisor of the DOH Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, said at least 470,000 Filipinos availed tuberculosis prevention services in 2022. “Sa ngayon ang good news noong 2022, nanumbalik yung ating services sa TB tulad noong bago pa mag-COVID so nakapagtala tayo ng around 470,000 na nagsimula ng gamutan pero sa estimate ng World Health Organization (WHO) kulang pa yun doon sa dapat nating makita so tinatansa nila na mayroong mga 700,000 Filipinos yung may TB every year,” Fabella said in DOH Kapihan Forum.

Quoting the global tuberculosis report of the WHO released in 2022, he said approximately 60,000 Filipinos died due to tuberculosis, while around 741,000 Filipinos developed active tuberculosis in 2021. Fabella said this was a 15% increase from 2015 to 2021. “Hindi naman nakakapagtaka ito dahil alam natin yung COVID nakaapekto sa ating mga buhay at bahagi doon naapektuhan yung programa para sa TB eliminations so nakita natin sa COVID na bumaba yung bilang ng TB patients na nadidiagnose at nabibigyan natin ng gamutan,” he said. “Sa TB control po kasi ang importante matigil ang transmission at para matigil ang transmission kailangan madetect sila at magamot sila. The more nadedetect natin at nagagamot, the more na mapapabilis natin ang pagwala ng sakit na ito,” he added.

According to the WHO, tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs but also spread to different organs of the body. It said that tuberculosis is curable and preventable. The illness was spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung tuberculosis cough, sneeze, or spit, they propel the tuberculosis germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected, it added. Among the symptoms when a person develops active tuberculosis are cough, fever, night sweats or weight loss.

Asked if this is a public health problem, Fabella said “Opo, hindi natin ito masyado naririnig sa media pero minsan ang tawag namin sa TB ay ‘silent killer’ dahil wala tayong nababalita na ganito, ang namatay sa TB, pero marami particular sa Pilipinas ang may sakit sa TB,” he added. Fabella encouraged those with symptoms of tuberculosis to consult their health centers or rural health units. “Bahagi ng programa ng DOH yung collaboration with the private sector, so nakikipagtulungan tayo sa mga professional medical societies para yung ating standard of care na ginagawa sa public pareho between public and private at ang requirement lang naman sa ating private physician kung sila ay magkaroon ng diagnosis na TB ay required lang na ireport sa DOH para sa ating tinatawag na health surveillance yun ay nirereport nila sa pamamagitan ng electronic reporting natin,” he said.

“Ngayon kung sa private sila nagpagamot syempre kailangan bumili ng gamot at medyo kulang ang budget or kailangan ng tulong pwede silang pumunta sa health center at doon makipagugnayan. Yung services po para i-test ang plema, yung mga gamot for treatment available po ito sa ating health centers or primary health care units nationwide,” he added.

Source: gmanetwork.com