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LAOAG CITY, Philippines — Figures on detected tuberculosis cases in the Ilocos region for 2021 are lower than post pandemic levels but the Department of Health (DOH) says this is no reason to rejoice .
The almost 11,000 cases reported for 2021 was a setback, according to the regional office of the DOH, which traced the drop in detected cases to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and mobility curbs.
Dr. Rheuel Bobis, medical officer of the regional DOH, said during a press briefing on Wednesday, March 30, that the pandemic had affected TB patients’ access to initial diagnosis and treatment.
In the past two years, health facilities, and workers had also focused their resources in trying to contain COVID-19, he added.
But Bobis clarified that the pandemic did not affect treatment for already detected cases, noting that medicines continued to be available in local facilities.
There were also mechanisms set in place to ensure continuous treatment, he added.
Dips don’t mean good news
Of the total cases in 2021, most came from Pangasinan, which had 7,746 cases, followed by La Union (1,831), Ilocos Sur (734), and Ilocos Norte (650).
Early diagnosis of TB in an individual is crucial for success rates of cures as well as in arresting the spread of the disease, Bobis said.
Based on the national TB registry, Ilocos region had reported 16,029 and 15,426 cases in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
When the pandemic started in 2020, the number of detected cases declined in comparison with the previous year, or 10,167 cases detected.
The DOH national office, in a separate press statement, said the country saw the second-largest decrease or a 37% drop in annual notifications between 2019 and 2020.
This, however, was not due to a real decrease in infections. The health department said the drop in figures was due to the “COVID-19 pandemic and the heightening of restrictions.”
In 2021, cases slightly rose by 2.20%, or a total of 10,391 TB cases reported in the region, said Bobis.
WHO reminder
Earlier, the World Health Organization reminded governments that fighting tuberculosis should not be neglected, and that delivery of TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care services should be “in tandem” with COVID-19 response.
As COVID-19 cases decline, the regional DOH is “continuously conducting active cases finding through mobile X-ray” services, Bobis said.
For the management of patients, TB-DOTS (directly observed therapy) continues in hospitals and clinics accredited by the DOH, said Bobis.
Therapy for all TB patients is free of charge, he noted.
The “rate of successful treatment of TB patients in the region was high,” Bobis added
He urged the public who have TB symptoms to consult the nearest health facilities. Once diagnosis and treatment begins, they have to complete it to avoid recurrence of the disease, Bobis added. — Rappler.com
John Michael Mugas is a Luzon-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.
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