By: Irma A. Guhit
Sorsogon City, March 29 (PIA) – An Orientation/Presscon Cum Lunch for the members of the media community here in Sorsogon on the Social Mobilization on Tuberculosis (SMT) Project was hosted by the World Vision (WV) yesterday at Villa Isabel Hotel to provide the members of the media community of the global and local situation of tuberculosis incidence.
This public awareness campaign seeking the assistance of the members of the media community here is in consonance with the yearly celebration of the World TB Day awareness celebrated every March 24.
According to the report of the WV the implementation of the SMT through its Global Fund asisted project here in the city of Sorsogon, tuberculosis is considered a global epidemic and should be addressed collectively with the active participation of the media.
Sorsogon assistant city health officer, Dr. Ruel Rebustillo gave the orientation on the global and local scenario of tuberculosis which he said is the cause of deaths of about 1.6 million people each year, mostly in the third world countries.
In the Philippines .75 Filipinos die from TB everyday and is considered the number 6th cause of death and of sickness in the country.
The Philippines ranks 9th worldwide in TB and ranks 3rd in the western Pacific among countries with highest number of TB cases as of the WV findings
According to Rebustillo, the TB facts gathered from global to local context around the world showed an 8.8 million people infected with TB each year and 2 to 3 million people die of TB every year.
According to the report given by Rebustillo based on the WV findings TB is killing the most productive members of society aged 30-59 years old and who are mostly male.
The Philippines loses around P26.4 billion income due to premature deaths from TB and an untreated TB patient can infect 10-15 people in a single year according to the report.
The WV in its thrusts to implement through the Global Fund a response to the high incidence of the TB in the Philippines is now on its second phase of implementation here in Sorsogon City.
The first phase of the SMT here was started in October 2006 to 2008 while the second phase was started last January 2009 to continue this 2011.
Based on the report given by Rebustillo, the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) case findings in Sorsogon City has a record of 95 cured TB adult patients as of last year , with 96 infiltrative and 40 cavitaries cases.
This year through sputum testing 65 are undergoing a 6-month treatment while cases of 42 infiltrative and 18 cavitaries found out through chest X-rays.
Number of children tested with PPDs summed up to 545 while 103 adults were found out to be sputum positive done through contact tracing provided by the Tuberculosis Task Force Volunteers.
Case detection rate provided by the National Epedimiology Center (NEC ) showed that in 2010 through the TB Task Force tracking, out of the 621 case- findings 96 were found out to be positive which is 19% of the referrals made by the Sorsogon CityTB Task Force conducted here aside from those considered as walk ins.
Dr. Rebustillo also stressed that tuberculosis infection is brought about by the bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis which is usually transmitted through coughing from persons infected with tuberculosis and inhaled by another person.
The old belief that persons who smokes and drinks can have tuberculosis is not true while smoking and drinking can aggravate the situation of the person with tuberculosis and can cause
Dr. Rebustillo gave the symptoms of persons infected with tuberculosis to be with the following signs: fever present every afternoon, loss of weight, loss of appetite, continuous coughing for almost two weeks, and having chest and back pains.
Dr. Rebustillo said that it is always recommended to consult the doctor or those from the barangays their health centers for easy and early detection..
Tuberculosis is curable and it is always suggested to eat plenty of vegetables, fruits which will always aid the body and will strengthen body resistance.
The World Vision through its City Development Officer, Leo C. Legaspi has requested the assistance of the media community here in Sorsogon to continue its partnership with Non- Governmental Organizations in popularizing programs that will provide the public awareness like the prevention and elimination of tuberculosis.
Several members of the media community were in attendance yesterday coming from the print, broadcast, television and the event facilitated through the assistance of the PIA- Sorsogon.
A project launch for the acknowledgement of 260 TB Task Force Volunteers followed at the St. Louise de Marillac College at 3:00 PM attended by Sorsogon City Mayor Leovic R. Dioneda and former Governor Sally Ante-Lee.
The fight of tuberculosis and HIV Aids is one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals that falls under goal number 6. (PIA-Sorsogon)
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