LUCENA CITY, Quezon (PIA) – More than 9,000 individuals in Quezon province have received treatment for tuberculosis as the Quezon Provincial Health Office (PHO) intensifies efforts to detect and prevent the disease.
According to Kenneth P. Villanueva, nurse program coordinator for the tuberculosis control program, a total of 6,935 individuals underwent treatment in 2023, while 2,275 patients received treatment last year out of 12,034 diagnosed cases.
Villanueva said the Quezon PHO, in collaboration with various health organizations, has ramped up active case-finding efforts through free screenings and chest X-rays.
Key partners in this initiative include the Philippine Business for Social Progress – ACCESS TB Project, which provides assistance to patients with severe or drug-resistant TB and supplies essential diagnostic equipment such as the GeneXpert Machine. The Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) works with private hospitals, clinics, and doctors to improve TB treatment awareness and connect them with public TB-DOTS facilities. Meanwhile, the Culion Foundation helps locate individuals with TB symptoms, including those hesitant to seek medical help.
“We have partnered with these organizations to enhance TB detection and treatment across the province,” Villanueva told PIA Quezon adding that these partnerships have also helped secure essential medications and equipment, as the provincial health office continues to face a shortage of TB medications.
For 2025, the Quezon Provincial Health Office, in partnership with the Culion Foundation, will launch another round of massive TB screening and active case-finding to identify and treat missing TB cases.
Villanueva emphasized that tuberculosis remains a significant public health concern in Quezon province, ranking as the 12th leading cause of death, based on data from the Electronic Field Health Services Information System (eFHSIS). Meanwhile, heart disease remains the province’s leading cause of death.
Quezon province also ranked third in CALABARZON in the 2024 regional tuberculosis control campaign. The Quezon PHO received recognition from the Department of Health for its high TB mandatory treatment initiation, treatment success rate, and preventive enrollment.
The Quezon PHO is urging local government units, rural health units, city health offices, and hospitals across the province to strengthen their support for tuberculosis control programs, ensuring that individuals at risk receive proper diagnosis, treatment, and care. (PIA Quezon)
