CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) –The Department of Health-Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM) sets its eyes on shortening the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) to four months, instead of the traditional six months.
The DOH-CHDNM will begin a capacity building program for health workers in 2025, which will focus on a shorter regimen for TB for patients aged three months to 16 years.
During a press conference on Universal Health Care Day, Dr. Wellaflor Kindom-Brito, the head of the infectious diseases cluster at DOH-CHDNM, announced the implementation of a short regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis, lasting only six months.
Brito added that oral tuberculosis treatment will be the only option. “We are expecting that with our new advancement in medications, the adherence to the treatment of our patients will be improved; they will never stop or lose to follow up on our treatment,” she said.
DOH data show that tuberculosis deaths for Region 10 in 2020 reached 285, in 2021 (250), 2022 (295), and 2023 (390).
Meanwhile, in the third quarter of 2024, there were 375 TB deaths in the region.
One of the factors in the increasing TB mortality rate is that TB cases are increasing, too, Brito said. Poor health-seeking behavior is another factor contributing to increased TB mortality or deaths. Patients often go and have checkups too little too late, where their condition is already severe. Meanwhile, there is also poor adherence to medication.
“Not that they don’t take the medication, but some of them experience adverse reactions, so that is why they stop medication altogether; meanwhile, others transfer homes, thus not being able to continue treatment,” Brito said, adding that compared to the usual antibiotic intake that would last for a week, minimum TB treatment is six months to two years.
However, with the new changes to treatment, Brito said, this will improve TB patients’ adherence to medication. (JMOR/PIA-10)
