TB Control in the has gone a long way. Through the leadership of the National TB Program, the Philippines has finally moved since a few years back unto the Target Zone for high burden countries, having reached a case detection rate of 75% and maintained a treatment success rate of 87%.

There, however, remains much work to do for TB. Pursuing quality DOTS, and private-public Mix DOTS, expanding DOTS from adult to children, and to special areas like the prisons, addressing the challenges that pose a threat to the success of DOTS such as multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB), extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB) and TB/HIV coinfection, empowering patients, encouraging partnerships, and discovering new tools in TB diagnostics and treatment, are just some of the initiatives that demand our awareness, knowledge and attention.

Thank you and we look forward to your continued support in the fight against TB!

Ma. Imelda D. Quelapio, MD
Immediate Past National Chairperson
Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis