NextGen Day

The Department of Health (DOH) has announced its plan to introduce a shorter tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimen by the third quarter of this year.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa shared that the new treatment will involve a four-month therapy for individuals suffering from drug-susceptible TB. Previously, patients had to endure nine to 12 months of treatment.

“In line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation, we will adopt a four-month treatment regimen, consisting of two months on a specific list of drugs and another two months on a different set of drugs. This applies to regular drug-susceptible tuberculosis,” Herbosa explained during a media forum held on Monday.

However, individuals with drug-resistant tuberculosis will still require six months of treatment.

Dr. Kezia Lorraine Rosario, the appointed Action Officer for TB and HIV, emphasized that the new guidelines aim to reduce the treatment duration, thereby minimizing the risk of patients discontinuing their treatment.

“The treatment will involve two months of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for adults. Children up to 12 years old will receive a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, moxifloxacin, and pyrazinamide,” Rosario specified.

Aside from introducing new drug combinations, the DOH will also integrate new technologies for TB case detection. The GeneXpert system, previously used for COVID-19 testing, will now detect multiple drug-resistant TB through genetic analysis.

Furthermore, a supplemental pilot implementation of a lateral flow test for TB detection, particularly among people living with HIV (PLHIV), will be conducted. As many new active TB cases are found among PLHIV, this initiative aims to enhance early detection.

“We will utilize artificial intelligence to detect TB through radiographs. The AI system can analyze radiographs to determine the presence or absence of TB upon viewing,” Herbosa added.

To ensure comprehensive TB surveillance, the DOH will employ connectivity software for real-time capture and sharing of customized data, facilitating its upload to the registry.

Digital adherence tools for video-observed treatment and TB preventive treatments within the same household will also be implemented.

According to the 2022 WHO Global TB Report, the Philippines is among the eight countries responsible for two-thirds of the estimated global TB cases. It also contributes significantly to the increase in TB-related deaths, along with neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, and India.

In 2021, the country experienced a decline in TB case notifications due to COVID-19-related restrictions, with a 37 percent decrease in 2020 and a 21 percent decrease in 2021.

The DOH launched its case-finding campaign in 2021, and partial data for 2022 indicates an increase in notified cases, with 433,746 cases reported compared to 409,200 cases in 2019.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed Herbosa to address the country’s TB situation using a whole-of-society approach involving the participation of national and local governments, academic institutions, societies, development partners, private sectors, and healthcare practitioners.

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