NEW GUINGONA LAW: STEP TOWARD TB-FREE PH

AROUND 260,000 Filipinos afflicted with tuberculosis (TB) now have access to free anti-TB medicine and laboratory services as the bill filed by reelectionist Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona III seeking to, once and for all, eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem has been signed into law.

Guingona, the Senate Chairman of the Committee on Health and Demography, announced on Thursday that Pres. Benigno Aquino III has signed Republic Act 10767, which lays down the government's action plan to achieve its vision of a TB-free Philippines.

The new law calls for the strengthening of Regional Centers for Health Development in providing cost-free services necessary to the elimination of TB. The Department of Health (DOH) estimates that, on the average, it costs P250,000 to cure one patient.

The Guingona-authored law mandates free laboratory services in hospitals retained by DOH. Additionally, reliable anti-TB drugs will be supplied at no cost to patients down to local health centers, which are directed to maintain sufficient stock of medicines for the communities they serve.

Moreover, access to PhilHealth's TB package will now cover new, relapse patients, return-after-default cases, and cases requiring extended treatment.

"TB may be one of the deadliest diseases but what people forget is that it is treatable. One of the reasons for the prevalence of this ancient disease is mistreatment of TB," Guingona said. "It has given rise to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, which is different from the common TB."

To competently prevent, detect, and manage TB, the new law tasks DOH to spearhead public information and education programs for health providers in public and private hospitals including medical and allied schools.

To discourage self-medication and ensure high quality of drugs, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will strengthen the policy of "No prescription, No anti-TB drugs." For the general public, funds will be made available to the DOH for the launch of a media campaign to raise awareness on the control and treatment of the disease in coordination with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). The campaign will include materials that discourage spitting in public places and unhygienic behavior. "Even if the number of TB cases is declining, the Philippines still ranks second in Asia when it comes to prevalence of the disease," said Guingona, who is seeking a second term in the Senate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there are about 260,000 cases of TB in the country and 28,000 die every year. The incidence is particularly high among the elderly, urban poor, smokers, and those with compromised immune systems, such as people with HIV, malnutrition, and diabetes.

The law requires all public and private health centers, hospitals, and facilities to report every case of tuberculosis encountered. Monitoring of the disease will be undertaken down to the lowest local level health units.