Private-Public Mixed DOTS (Directly Observed Short Course Chemotheraphy) Program Launching

[Jennefer M. Picardal]

Yesterday August 9 we have finally launched the PPMD Program Launching after a series of activities we had from November, 2011. We started by having a provincial situational assessment then advocacy symposium and finally the TB DOTS training. These activities involved different stake holders from both government and private sector. Future directions of this program includes monitoring and evaluation of the different Rural Health Units in the Province. Hopefully we achieve our goal  to decrease the TB incidence of the province to 50% by the year 2015.

 

       I have attached a movie clip reflecting the activities that we had from November last year to present.

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Jennefer,

 

Congratulations on this launch!

 

A sub-group here called TB competence might interest you. You can join at http://aidscompetence.ning.com/group/tbcompetence

 

One of the challenges we face here in India is the storage of medicine. Recently a whole lot of Ethambutol got bad and discoloured. What is the situation in Philippines?

Has there been engagement of community in diagnosis of TB and adherence of ATT in Philippines?.

 

Thanks and regards,

Rituu

[Jennefer M. Picardal]

Hi Rituu,

     As of now we don't have any problems with medicine storage but what we are more concerned with is the increasing number of the Multi Drug Resistant TB cases (MDR-TB). One of the contributory factors on this is the increasing number of private practitioners in the Philippines who are treating TB cases haphazardly. They are not following the treatment protocols stipulated under the National TB Program. That is why we have involved the private practitioners in the series of activity that we had so that they will realize their roles in eradicating TB or at least minimize it and do not increase our MDR TB cases. There have been a massive advocacy campaign in the communities, in the jail, in schools and in almost all of the government agencies so that they can help us increase the case detection rate and of course the cure rate. Community people are now being engaged so that they will become our treatment partners. In 2009 TB was the 4th killer disease here in our province and in 2010 it became the 6th while we have added at least 6% increase in the case detection rate and achieved around 89% cure rate. But this has to be sustained so that we can at least minimize the incidence of TB.

 

Regards,

Jenny

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Thanks for your response. Highly appreciate it. Congratulations on the good work in your country. How are you engaging communities in response to TB?

 

I posted a query on TB competence group, a sub-group here. You might like to respond to it. I would like to learn from your experience.http://aidscompetence.ning.com/group/tbcompetence/forum/topic/new?t...