The Philippines is among the countries with the highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB).

According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 released by the World Health Organization (WHO), five countries accounted for 56 percent of the worldwide total.

Topping the list was India with 26 percent. This was followed by Indonesia (10 percent), China (6.8 percent), the Philippines (6.8 percent), and Pakistan (6.3 percent).

As of October, the Philippines has logged more than 600 cases of TB per 100,000 population, according to WHO.

In 2023, 55 percent of people who developed TB were men, 33 percent were women, and 12 percent were children and young adolescents.

Meanwhile, the global number of deaths caused by TB fell in 2023, reinforcing the decline that was achieved in 2022 after two years of increase during the worst years of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

The WHO said TB caused an estimated 1.2 million deaths in 2023. The total was down from best estimates of 1.32 million in 2022, 1.42 million in 2021, and 1.40 million in 2020.

Despite this progress, the WHO noted, TB has "probably returned" to being the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, replacing Covid-19.

This after a global total of 8.2 million people were reported as newly diagnosed with TB in 2023, up from 7.5 million in 2022 and 7.1 million in 2019.

"Those newly diagnosed in 2022 and 2023 probably included a sizeable backlog of people who developed TB in previous years, but whose diagnosis and treatment was delayed by Covid-related disruption," the WHO said.

DOH on the case

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to the DAILY TRIBUNE, the Department of Health (DOH) said it is "actively implementing various strategies" to find and treat "missing cases" and prevent further transmission of TB.

According to DOH, its National Tuberculosis Control Program focuses on early detection utilizing innovative tools such as the Ultraportable chest X-ray (UP CXR) which can be deployed in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

UP CXR can also be employed with computer-aided detection (CAD-AI) to analyze CXR images for the presence of abnormalities suggestive of TB.

The DOH said there are currently eight functional UP CXR with CAD-AI that have screened a total of 17,331 individuals.

In addition, the programs expands the use of point-of-care rapid diagnostic tools to diagnose TB.

“To facilitate effective treatment, the Program has introduced shorter treatment regimens, allowing patients to complete their treatment more efficiently,” the DOH said.

Furthermore, the DOH noted, TB services have been integrated into primary healthcare facilities such as the Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) Centers to improve accessibility, encouraging early diagnosis and prompt treatment initiation within the community.

Public awareness campaigns were also conducted to raise awareness and educate the public about symptoms, prevention, and treatment options for TB.

“These initiatives also provided an opportunity for the Program to advocate to combat stigma surrounding the disease and encourage Filipinos to seek testing and treatment,” the agency said.

“The DOH has adopted the whole-of-society approach, partnering with a variety of stakeholders including government agencies, private organizations, international and local development partners, civil society organizations, and patient support groups to strengthen efforts in the fight against TB.”

The DOH assured the public that it is implementing these strategies in a bid to reduce the incidence of TB and improve the overall health outcomes for affected Filipinos.