
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ (๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐) ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐-๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ณ๐
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐., ๐๐จ๐ซ. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ.

Message of Dr. Caoili
On behalf of the PhilCAT board, I extend a warm welcome to everyone attending the PhilCAT 30th Annual Convention. Our theme this year is โEnding TB in the Philippines: Progress, Challenges, and Commitmentโ. PhilCAT is a coalition comprising 66 organizations, including professional societies, corporations, and other stakeholders from the public and private sectors. Our mission revolves around TB control in the Philippines. PhilCAT acts as a liaison among members and partner organizations, and one of its main activities are dissemination of information on TB programs through various forums, including the annual convention held during Lung Month every August. This convention marks three decades of PhilCATโs dedication. We bring together experts, advocates, community leaders, and healthcare workers to discuss crucial updates on TB. As our country continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we acknowledge the strides made by our TB program. President Marcos designated TB as a priority infectious disease, and Secretary Herbosa included it among the DOHโs eight priority health programs. Funding for TB in the Philippines has significantly increased since 2022. Notably, TB notifications are on the rise, and the number of notified TB cases has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Despite progress, significant challenges persist. While TB notifications have increased, so have the actual TB cases. In 2023, the DOH reported 612,534 new TB cases, with approximately 40% remaining undiagnosed. Unfortunately, TB-related deaths have been rising since 2020. Our current TB treatment coverage remains below the 2019 rates of 67%. TB treatment success rate dipped to 76% in 2020, much lower than the 90% success rate attained by our country since 2010. Additionally, providing TB preventive treatment for high-risk cases remains very low, with only 5.5% coverage. On September 22, 2023, world leaders at the United Nations General Assemblyโs HighLevel Meeting on TB committed to achieving ambitious targets by 2027. These targets include reaching 90% of people with TB prevention and care services, utilizing rapid diagnostic tests as the initial test, providing social benefit packages to all people with TB, licensing at least one new TB vaccine, and significantly increasing the budget for TB programs and research. The Philippines has adopted these commitments. For the 2024 PhilCAT annual convention, the scientific committee has prepared a program that will provide participants with updates on various facets of TB. Renowned TB experts will share important updates related to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Policy makers and community volunteers will discuss challenges and innovations in the field. We encourage all participants to use this opportunity to build networks within the TB community, collaborate and learn from each otherโs collective experience. Wishing you another productive PhilCAT Annual Convention! Thank you