12M Filipinos for TB screening by 2026

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) have set a 2026 target to screen 12 million Filipinos for tuberculosis (TB) as they ramp up efforts to curb the disease through expanded prevention and treatment measures.

- By JEL SANTOS

In a joint statement, the WHO and DOH said the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program allocates P4.2 billion to expand and accelerate TB services, almost double the P2.6 billion budget in 2025.

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa noted that the Philippines has begun utilizing ultra-portable, Al-assisted chest X-rays and WHO-recommended Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT) to swiftly identify and confirm TB cases.

“We are already using an innovative all-oral regimen for drug-resistant TB, that cuts the treatment from two years to only six months with a higher treatment success rate,” he said.

“We are integrating the complete cascade of care in DOH-governed BU-CAS centers and primary care facilities under LGUs.”