Tuberculosis control in the Philippines

The Philippine Government is doubling its tuberculosis control budget to P280 million next year to combat a resurgent disease which is said to infect six in ten Filipinos and claims one life every 20 minutes in the country. 100-percent hike in funds of the Department of Health TB Control Program this year which is P139 million has been included in the proposed national budget. This would allow the government to procure more anti-TB drugs, which are mainly administered to patients through the proven Directly-Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS).
The Provincial Health Office here has taken a more vigorous approach to combat tuberculosis, like early detection through sputum examination, laboratory and x-ray services.
The Multi-Drug-Resistant (MDR) cases are also covered by the program (DOTS). These are TB cases that despite the medication, patients when subjected to sputum examination were still found to be positive of the disease.
More attention would be given to this category as these were described to be expensive to treat or cure, very contagious and noted to be responsible for spreading TB resistant bacilli. TB cases of this nature qualify for referral to Makati Tropical Disease Foundation Clinic, so patients could be subjected to thorough medication, but the process entails enormous amount of money, a longer period of treatment as Out-Patient.
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p070906.htm&no=44