THE United States Agency for International Development (USAid) is investing more than P3 billion to support the National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program and help the Department of Health (DoH) reduce the number of TB cases until 2022.
The investment is under the USAid TB Platforms Project (USAid TB Platforms) aimed at assisting local government units (LGUs) implement Republic Act 11223 or the “Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.”
As a showcase, it launched the “Usapang Dibdiban,” a comprehensive discussion with local chief executives, health officers and National Tuberculosis Control Program coordinators, highlighting essential details of the UHC Act as presented by DoH.
“To date, 43 Usapang Dibdiban sessions were held this year, engaging 24 LGUs in Central Luzon and 19 LGUs in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon). All of them expressed support in the full implementation of UHC and the immediate passage of local TB ordinances, which provide annual budget appropriation for the procurement of drugs and hiring of additional human resource for diagnosis, care and treatment,” USAid TB Platforms Social and Behavior Change Communications Specialist Diwata de Castro-Paredes said.
With support from the regional offices of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and provincial offices of Department of the Interior and Local Government, USAid TB Platforms also provides technical assistance to LGUs in establishing primary care provider networks.
USAid TB Platforms, in partnership with DoH National TB Control Program and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, also organized a webinar for elected officials to consolidate agreements related to the UHC implementation and strengthening of local TB response.
Representatives from DoH and UHC champions shared initiatives and efforts from UHC Advance Implementation Sites to guide gradual implementation in other areas and ensure prioritization of TB health services.
USAid TB Platforms Project’s Chief of Party Marianne Calnan said the agency is “happy to work with dynamic local chief executives, who are championing TB response amid Covid-19; celebrities turned #EndTB Ambassadors; civil leaders, leading their organizations’ support to #End TB campaign; and most of all, to the members of the media, who have been with us since we started raising public awareness on TB as a killer disease amid Covid-19.”
“With all of them rallying with us along with our frontliners, the community healthcare workers, we believe we will succeed,” Calnan said.
USAid has provided P30 billion for the Philippine health sector to realize its development goals for 20 the past years.
USAid TB Platforms has partnered with state media Philippine Information Agency for the dissemination of information about the implementation of UHC Law as well as in raising public awareness about TB as a killer disease.