NOW that the majority of the country is already under the lowest alert level classification, the next thing to do now is for the workers to slowly return to work so that the country’s economic wheel can turn again and provide a hint of normalcy.
Just recently, the government issued a directive for workers, particularly those in the business-process outsourcing (BPO) industry, to return to on-site work by April 1. This was slammed by the majority of BPO workers as lacking in empathy, “unreasonable and unconscionable.”
The BPO sector claimed they still managed to find ways for employees to remain productive even if working from home just so they’d remain healthy and safe. Health was perhaps the primary concern, with the fear that working again on site may increase the possibility of another Covid-19 surge.
However, Covid-19 may not be the only health threat to workers. Take Tuberculosis or “TB,” for example.
Turn off the TB, the world’s top infectious killer
Like Covid-19, TB is also infectious. Despite being preventable and curable through antibiotics, TB kills 1.5 million people a year to claim the title of world’s top infectious killer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
How is it created? The bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis, usually targeting the lungs. It spreads through the air when someone with lung TB coughs, sneezes or spits, and then another one inhales the germs to get infected, the WHO adds. Sounds familiar?
The WHO continued by saying that most people affected by tuberculosis live in low- and middle-income countries, and where half of all people afflicted with it are mostly found in eight countries, and the Philippines is one of them, together with Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.
Tuberculosis continues to be a threat to people around the world and yes, the Philippines, with an annual mortality rate higher than those with HIV and malaria combined. In the Philippines alone, there are over 539 active cases of tuberculosis for every 100,000 Filipinos, which makes it a major public health problem in the country.
Concerted efforts in fighting TB
Several stakeholders, including government, nongovernment organizations and private companies, are now joining hands to end the TB menace in the country. Together, their efforts are aimed at raising awareness about tuberculosis and that more Filipinos take a proactive approach in battling the disease.
“Our enhanced case finding strategy makes us optimistic that we can end tuberculosis in the country. Together with our partners, we continue to run nationwide programs aimed at getting potential patients to seek professional consult and receive proper care,” says Dr. Winston Palasi, Medical Officer IV of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Infectious Disease Division during the event “Sama Sama TB ay Labanan, Para sa Ligtas na Buhay at Kalusugan,” a webinar joined in by the DOH, the Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) and Johnson & Johnson (Philippines), Inc. (J&J Philippines). The activity is part of the group’s collaborative efforts to find and treat about 2.5 million Filipinos by the end of the year.
Aside from the improved access to diagnostic services and treatment, Dr. Camilo Roa, President of the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc., said they are also educating people with TB on how they can properly care for themselves so that they do not become active cases again in the future. “We are also teaching them how to help contain its spread through simple yet effective measures such as working from home and avoiding public transportation, restricting travel among patients who can quickly become non-infectious provided they take the drugs.”
With regards to working on site for most employees, Dr. Roa said that with lower Covid-19 transmissions, working in the office with multiple employees should be safe provided the minimum public health standards are followed. There is no need to test for Covid-19 unless with symptoms or with close contact. “For TB, after the mask mandate for Covid granting that the pandemic has been declared to be over, symptoms monitoring [cough of over two weeks, weight loss, night sweats, prolonged fever] and for the asymptomatic, a yearly chest X-ray should be enough. Of course, any one with exposure to active tuberculosis must undergo contact tracing immediately. The office space must also follow standards like distancing.”
Eliminating tuberculosis is a challenge, but with the aggressive program that actively looks for patients, provision of free medication and with the search of those infected but not feeling sick (and treating them), Dr. Roa said the TB Elimination target is achievable by 2035.
“Medical management is important where a minimum treatment of six months should be followed to attain over 95 percent cure, and medicines should be accessible in government centers because they are provided free,” Dr. Roa pointed out.
For Dr. Rontgene Solante, Chairman of the Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Fellowship Program of San Lazaro Hospital, tuberculosis can be deadly but definitely curable and preventable. “Maintaining good personal hygiene and leading a healthy lifestyle are surefire ways to avoid contracting the disease.”
As for Ma. Eloisa “Louie” Zepeda-Teng, Founder and President of TBpeople Philippines Organization Inc., access to information is the key so that many Filipinos will be more aware about this communicable disease and they can be encouraged to become tuberculosis advocates as well. “Our group has been successfully rolling out projects such as TB literacy trainings so that more people will take part in this movement to end TB in our country soon.”
Empowering the youth as the generation to end TB
J&J Philippines thinks that the youth can be valuable assets to help in the fight against tuberculosis since they comprise above 40 percent of the Philippine population. Harnessing the youth’s potential as agents of change can help pave the way for a safer, healthier and tuberculosis-free Philippines, a goal the company set out to do this year together with local and global partners.
“Our vision is to be able to turn the youth from targets into advocates or what we call #TuberculosisWarriors,” said Stephanie Lao, Global Public Health Manager at J&J Philippines. “We are excited to roll out a series of initiatives that will empower the youth to take charge of the country’s TB trajectory. The first phase will be headlined by #TuberculosisWarriors game filters on social media, which they can use to learn more about TB and spread awareness on the disease with their family and friends in a fun and engaging way.”
For Dr. Erwin Benedicto, Head of Medical Affairs at J&J Philippines, enabling the youth’s access to tuberculosis care and equipping them with the right tools to influence others to act will help accelerate the progress towards curbing the statistics on this deadly epidemic. “Their meaningful participation in efforts to combat it will also contribute greatly to achieving the larger, global goal of ending tuberculosis by 2030.”
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