TB Still Hits Hard in PH, WHO Says: Bakit Kailangan Bilisan ang Testing
The Philippines remains one of the world’s top five countries with a high tuberculosis burden, according to the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific office. That is the big warning tied to this year’s World TB Day message, and malinaw na the disease is still a major public health problem here
The Philippines remains one of the world’s top five countries with a high tuberculosis burden, according to the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific office. That is the big warning tied to this year’s World TB Day message, and malinaw na the disease is still a major public health problem here.
WHO said there were an estimated 2.9 million tuberculosis cases globally, with the Philippines, Indonesia, and China included among the highest-burden countries. The agency noted that while there have been gains in prevention and treatment, the country still faces stubborn barriers that keep the illness spreading and harder to catch early.
Among the challenges identified were stagnant funding and continuing risk factors such as undernutrition, smoking, alcohol use, and diabetes. WHO also said other health priorities are competing for attention, making it harder to sustain an all-out push against TB.
Regional director Dr. Saia Ma’u Piukala said ending TB is achievable if governments transform care, decentralize services, and act with greater urgency. WHO is also urging high-burden countries like the Philippines to expand near-point-of-care molecular tests, which can detect TB faster and more accurately, especially in underserved communities.
Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/03/24/news/national/ph-among-top-5-countries-with-high-tb-cases/2305773
