Interrupting or delaying treatment leads to severe consequences, including disease progression and the development of drug-resistant TB strains. Health advocates continue to push for greater public awareness, stressing that a single untreated TB patient can infect up to 10 people within a year.
Bureaucracy and persistent systemic delays have contributed to tuberculosis drug shortages in the Philippines for more than a decade, a World Health Organization (WHO) specialist said.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion organized by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Philippine Alliance to Stop TB (PASTB) in Manila on Tuesday, WHO Technical Specialist for TB and Universal Health Coverage Dr. Clarissa Halum pointed to institutional processes as a major obstacle to maintaining an uninterrupted supply of first-line TB medicines.
“Simple lang po [ang] sagot ko; it’s very hard to spell but I can say it, bureaucracy,” Halum said when asked about persistent stock-outs.
“It’s the system that’s killing us,” she added.
Halum said administrative changes within government can further disrupt operations, as changes in leadership, reshuffling of officials and turnover among co-terminous personnel require incoming staff to familiarize themselves with existing programs.
“When we change people in our bureaus in the Department of Health, they have to go back and study again,” she said.
Logistical problems and improper handling of medicine shipments have also contributed to supply disruptions.
Halum recalled one donation that encountered problems at Customs because of high temperatures during transit.
“One of the donations that arrived in the country had a problem in the customs because it was too hot,” she said.
She also cited an incident in which ice picks were allegedly used during a Bureau of Customs inspection, puncturing boxes and allowing water to seep inside.
“For them it’s irrelevant, for us it means life,” Halum said.
She stressed the need to improve awareness among officials handling shipments about the importance and sensitivity of life-saving TB medicines.
“Why did it last long in the customs? Again, bureaucracy,” she said.
The discussion, held at the Bayview Park Hotel to mark National Lung Month 2026, brought together public and private stakeholders to examine community-led solutions to strengthen the supply of first-line TB drugs.
Lung Center Public Health Head Dr. Lalaine Mortera also highlighted Project SUSTAIN, an initiative aimed at building long-term resilience into health systems.
“Whatever project we come up with is something that should be able to live beyond the project,” Mortera said.
Mortera said medicine stock-outs at government facilities have worsened, while drugs may remain available at private pharmacies but at prices beyond the reach of many patients.
“The stock-outs [have] worsened,” she said.
Interruptions or delays in treatment can lead to disease progression and contribute to the development of drug-resistant forms of TB.
Health advocates stressed the need for sustainable solutions to ensure patients have uninterrupted access to medicines and prevent further transmission of the disease.
