Health Secretary Ted Herbosa on Thursday said the Department of Health (DOH) is modernizing tuberculosis screening and treatment nationwide.
The agency is deploying ultra-portable, AI-powered chest X-rays and WHO-recommended nucleic acid amplification tests for faster diagnosis.
“We are already using an innovative regimen for drug-resistant TB that cuts treatment from two years to only six months with a higher success rate,” Herbosa said.
He added that TB services are now being integrated into DOH-run BUCAS centers and local primary care facilities.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive, the Philippines has intensified efforts to eliminate TB, unveiling the Philippine Strategic TB Elimination Plan (PhilSTEP2) and the Philippine Acceleration Action Plan for Tuberculosis 2023–2035.
The DOH aims to screen 12 million Filipinos for TB by 2026, backed by a proposed ₱4.2-billion budget to speed up service delivery. Prevention is being reinforced through shorter TB preventive treatment regimens, leading to a 50-percent increase in enrollment in 2024.
Community campaigns like TPTodo continue to raise public awareness, while public-private partnerships are expanding services to reduce TB incidence and deaths by 2035.
