TB: Out of Control

In the article “TB: Out of Control,” of Tan Suat Lian in the Reader’s Digest dated October 1999, he stated that Asia is considered as the tuberculosis (TB) capital of the world. More than a million Asians were diagnosed and were killed by it. It is really an epidemic in most poor countries, e.g. India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Philippines. Considered as the number one infectious-disease killer in the world, Lian said that it is caused by a bacterium—the mycobacterium tuberculosis—that is common in poor social environment due to malnutrition and poor ventilation. And though it is curable, Lian wrote that doctors find it out of control due to inadequate health facilities and poor patient compliance.

Put in the Philippine context, I agree that TB is really out of control in our country. It is now considered as one of the country’s worst silent-infectious-disease killers. With my observation, in line with Lian’s thoughts, I really find it hard to control this problem especially with our present situation. First, we have inadequate health facilities. I agree with Lian’s suggestion that we should start upgrading our clinics, equipment and laboratories, and to conduct proper staff training.

The second reason why it’s hard to control TB is poor patient’s compliance. Discipline is also needed in our advocacy against TB. Thus, the patients must also be faithful to their medication.
The advocacy against TB is not only a responsibility of medicine, or a project of the government, or the duty of the patients. The advocacy against TB is a call for consensus. We are all invited to give our share—to battle against it, to control it.