By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a statement on Saturday, former health secretary and House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin warned the public to take extra precautions after Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF), a non-government organization, diagnosed 1,280 residents with tuberculosis (TB) in Tondo, Manila.
The Iloilo First District Representative was deeply worried about the diagnoses, prompting the government to take action against the spike in tuberculosis cases in the country.
Amid the increasing number of TB cases, Garin expressed concern as medicine for TB is always out of stock in public medical facilities, leading to inaccessible healthcare.
“Nakakabahala na kulang ang gamot para sa ganitong uri ng sakit. Tamang distribution at maaayos na sistema sa pagbibigay ng gamot ang kailangan upang matiyak na makakakuha ng sapat na gamot ang mga Pilipino,” Garin stressed, adding that such diseases are preventable and curable.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10.8 million individuals worldwide contracted TB in 2023.
TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze, or spit, WHO said.
Based on the data of the US Agency for International Development, the estimated TB incidence in the Philippines in 2021 was 741,000. The same report also mentioned approximately 61,000 people in the country who have died from the disease in the same year. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)
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