Every August, the National Tuberculosis Awareness Month is celebrated in the Philippines. Local groups and government sectors take part in the celebration through programs that aim to share awareness and to encourage people fight the disease. Likewise, the National TB Awareness Month reminds everyone to take good care of our health, to campaign for smoking cessation and to help lower the TB cases in the Philippines.

                Tuberculosis is a contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. It spreads through the air when a person with the disease coughs, sneezes, spits, and talks. Symptoms include cough for 2 weeks or more, fever, sudden weight loss, night sweating or chills, and loss of appetite. Tuberculosis usually occurs in the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body and symptoms may vary accordingly.

                Although the disease could be treated, people with active tuberculosis often experience prejudice or discrimination as it is highly contagious. The treatment takes about 6 months for the new cases and 8 months for the relapse and treatment failure patients. Due to poor compliance of TB patients in the medication, the Department of Health fortified the ‘Directly Observed Treatment for Short Course (DOTS) Chemotherapy’ or ‘tutok-gamutan’ of the National TB Program to closely monitor the treatment plan of the patients.

                Our will to fight off the disease should be stronger than the campaign. We could help increase the public awareness of the disease and the need for treatment. Everyone can play a role to improve the health situation in the Philippines and to live in Tuberculosis-free country in the future.

By: Pamela Jeralie T. Roxas | RN | Limay DOH