BY: AMOR Y. SALUDAR
Central Visayas, March 26 (PIA) --- The Department of Health (DOH-7) here reported that in 2013 the Philippine was able to reach the 89% cure rate of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the country that surpassed that of the World Health Organization's (WHO) target at 85 percent.
DOH-7 said the 89% result is just partial since it is still waiting for the results from other provinces that have not submitted their records at present.
During the World TB Day celebration recently, DOH-7 said that this has been attributed to the strong effort of the Phil. government with its health institutions that implemented programs and projects geared toward reduction if not elimination of TB cases in the country.
This is also due to the collaborative efforts in the awareness and advocacy campaign of other agencies and stakeholders that made the public realized that TB can be cured and that they can avail of the free medicines from DOH.
DOH -7 regional TB program coordinator Jocelyn Tabotabo said that the “Philippines is one of the countries in the world that performs well in the combat against Tubercolusis (TB).”
DOH-7 assistant regional director Dr. Lakshmi Legaspi added that in Central Visayas and even outside the region TB patients are now more aware that TB is curable and they also know that medicines are for free and that they can go to accredited hospitals, health centers and rural health units for treatment.
Tabotabo urged the cooperation of everybody that is still needed to come up a strong weapon in the fight against TB.
“There are lots of initiative but the government can not do this alone,” she stressed.
Tabotabo explained that the spread of TB cases has to be stop because of its high infection rate. One smear positive untreated TB patients can infect 10-20 persons a year.
According to DOH-7 National TB Program (NTP) projected to have a one (1) death per one (1) million population in the country in 2013.
DOH-7 reports that TB is a major public health problem in the Philippines and that estimated 450,000 individuals have TB and 12, 000 have multiple drug-resistant case.
The same report revealed that most of the TB patients are males of productive age group, but children are also affected, and that TB is no. 6 cause of death and illness in the country and Philippines is no. 9 among 22 countries with high TB burden.
DOH-7 also revealed that in the Philippines mortality rate of TB is 33 per 100,000 population, this is twice higher than the worldwide figure. (mbcn/AYS/PIA7)