The Department of Health (DOH) has announced plans to intensify active case finding to identify tuberculosis (TB) patients and ensure their complete treatment.

According to the 2024 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report, the Philippines ranks fourth in the world for the highest number of TB cases, accounting for 6.8 percent of new cases globally each year.

The report estimates that 739,000 Filipinos contracted TB in 2023. However, only 575,770 cases were recorded in the DOH's Integrated TB Information System (ITIS), indicating that many TB patients remain unregistered and untreated. Additionally, 100,237 patients who started treatment have not returned to complete it.

The DOH emphasized that drug-resistant TB cases are particularly challenging to treat, requiring stronger and longer-term medication. The agency aims to reduce the number of new TB cases per year from 643 to 300 per 100,000 people by 2030.

"The Philippines ranks fourth in the world in terms of new TB cases per year. We need to be removed from this list," said DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa.

"TB is contagious within families. President Marcos Jr. has ordered us to find all TB patients so that we can save them because this disease is treatable," he added.

As part of its TB eradication efforts, the DOH conducted simultaneous X-ray and health screenings in various parts of the country in commemoration of World TB Day. An estimated 5,599 individuals underwent X-rays within just seven to eight hours.