J&J, PBSP to roll out training programs to fight TB听听
JOHNSON & JOHNSON Philippines, Inc. (J&J) and business-led non-government organization Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) have partnered to train healthcare听workers in听addressing听tuberculosis (TB) cases听at the听community level, based on updated guidelines from the Department of Health.听听听
鈥淭he public health system was focused on COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and our fellow Filipinos largely had to stay home. Some of them experienced significant difficulty availing of public health services as needed,鈥 said Elvin Ivan Y. Uy, PBSP executive director, in an interview with 大象传媒.听听听
Mr. Uy pointed out that the drop in TB cases recorded in 2020 was due to less testing during the pandemic. This was听听in a statement听by Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, who said that听鈥渢he quarantine has extremely affected and limited the health seeking behaviors of our fellow Filipinos.鈥澨
The training, which will be supported and given resources by J&J and implemented by PBSP, will focus on Region听III听(Central Luzon), the National Capital Region, and Region听IV-A听(Calabarzon, or Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).听听
Collectively, these three regions account for about 44% of TB cases in the country, making it more important for healthcare workers in these areas to be equipped with the correct know-how based on the government鈥檚 National Tuberculosis Program,听said Mr. Uy.听听听
One of the updates is on treating drug-resistant TB (DRTB), a version of the illness that is resistant to the first line of drugs that are usually prescribed to patients.听听听
鈥淩ight now, there are new guidelines in terms of the treatment of TB, specifically DRTB patients. That鈥檚 why, together with PBSP, we are rolling out this new module of treatment at the community level so that there will be an update of these new guidelines. Nothing stops us, even COVID-19,鈥 said Dr. Erwin G. Benedicto, J&J鈥檚 head of medical affairs.听听听
J&J and PBSP aim to train small batches of healthcare workers starting the third week of August. 鈥斕Bront毛 H. Lacsamana听
