75 Filipinos Afflicted With TB Die Everyday

The World Vision Foundation, Incorporated (WVFI), a Geneva-funded organization, appropriated $4.6 million dollars to fight the menace of tuberculosis (TB) in at least 22 countries in the world, including the Philippines, for a period of five years.

WVFI national project manager Marlon Villanueva made the announcement during the launching on Thursday of Social Mobilization on Tuberculosis (SMT), aimed to fight TB, in Zamboanga City.

Villanueva said the WVFI SMT project aims to dramatically increase resources available to fight TB, including Malaria and Aids, which are tagged as the three killer diseases in the world.

WVFI is being funded by the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB, Malaria (GFATM), an organization based in Geneva, Switzerland that was created in 2002.

Villanueva said at least 75 Filipinos afflicted with TB die everyday, placing the Philippines at number eight in the world and number two in the Western Pacific region in terms of persons dying with TB.

TB is a disease caused by mycrobacterium tuberculosis and it is spread through coughing and sneezing.

The Department of Health (DOH) revealed that this city is one of the 10 major cities in the country with high incidents of TB.

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DOH Regional Director Aristides Tan said that 1,000 TB patients are being recorded annually in this city.

Tan said the Barangays of Recodo and Talon-Talon, out of the total 98 barangays in this city, have the most number of patients.

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He called on the barangay officials "to create a support group in the different communities" to help them identify people afflicted with TB so that proper medication could be administered on them.

There is also a need to conduct awareness program in this city's 98 barangays, especially in areas with high TB incidence, he said.

Tan said his office and other agencies concerned are targeting to cure at least 85 percent of patients afflicted with TB in this city.

Source-Bio-Bio Technology
SRM