Health Update: Tuberculosis is every Filipino's business - Special Reports - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

Tuberculosis is every Filipino's business - Special Reports - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News: "Through the Department of Health’s National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) and with the support of local governments, the Philippines achieved great strides in TB control since the institution of the DOTS strategy in the mid-1990s. The country needs to push this momentum forward to accelerate the gains in TB control.

DOTS stands for Directly Observed Treatment Short course. It is a comprehensive strategy adopted by the Government’s National TB Control Program and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) which ensures diagnosis, treatment, and cure of TB patients. Its implementation is based on five elements: (1) Government commitment to control TB, thus ensuring availability of sustained resources for TB control and management activities; (2) Good quality diagnosis using sputum smear microscopy as the primary diagnostic tool; (3) Standardized treatment regimen using good quality drugs and guaranteed uninterrupted drug supply; (4) Directly-observed treatment by a treatment partner; and, (5) Standardized recording and reporting of TB data.

The TB LINC Project is a USAID-assisted and DOH-led initiative to sustain the coordination and collaboration of TB control partners from both the public and private sectors."