ILOILO CITY — Representatives of various government institutions, private organizations, transport groups and students in Western Visayas gathered in this city on Friday for the first ever summit to fight the spread of tuberculosis (TB).
Dubbed “Citizens Iloilo Coalition Against TB”, the summit was organized by the Center for Infection and Control Treatment (CICAT) in partnership with the Department of Health 6 (Western Visayas). It is anchored on the theme, “Strengthening Linkages through Active Engagement with Partners”.
CICAT chair Ellamae Divinagracia, during a press conference, said there is a need for various groups to “unite” and lead in the campaign against TB.
Based on the data of DOH-6, there are about 14,000 TB cases in the entire region as of June this year.
She said early detection and prompt treatment is the key in fighting the spread of TB.
“If you are already experiencing symptoms of TB, you should immediately consult your doctor and start treatment,” she said.
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs, according to the World Health Organization. Among the symptoms are cough, fever and weight loss.
Divinagracia said the disease is preventable and treatable.
Among the topics discussed during the summit are multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, holistic approach to TB-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) management, and TB in the workplace.
Ma. Sophia Pulmones, head of the Local Health Support Division of DOH-6, said aside from the campaign for prevention of the disease in the localities, they are also focusing on the prevention of the spread of TB in the workplace.
Citing health workers as example, she said, the workers are prone to acquire the disease because they are exposed to TB patients.
Divinagracia said educating workers on how to identify TB would prevent the spread of the disease.
“If they know the symptoms, they could encourage their fellow workers to seek consultation,” she said.
Divinagracia said they hope the summit would become a yearly event so they could achieve their target of zero TB case by 2022. ( Cindy Ferrer/PNA)