TB meds shortage in DOTS centers due to logistics woes — DOH

MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Thursday said that the shortage of anti – tuberculosis (TB) medicines in TB treatment centers nationwide is due to a “problem of logistics.”

In a press conference in Pasay City with the global advocacy group Stop TB Partnership, Herbosa explained that the health department is procuring sufficient amounts of TB medicines, but problems arise when delivering them to TB DOTS (directly-observed treatment, short-course) centers.

“Actually it’s a problem of logistics management. We buy enough TB meds but unfortunately, they are sent to hubs in our regional offices and to be able to deliver them to the specific TB centers in the different regions, that’s where I think the delay and the obstacles are,” he said.

“We really need to copy our colleagues in the online selling industry. They’re able to do this much better,” Herbosa added.

To address the issue, Herbosa said that he talked to a consulting company in logistics and supply chain management to help the DOH in ironing out the movement of its resources. Herbosa, however, did not name the firm.

“My solution will be non-medical. I’m going to talk with people who have expertise in making sure that resources are delivered to people who need them,” he stressed. 

The shortage of anti-TB medicines in treatment centers has been in the crosshairs of the DOH as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the department to focus on addressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and TB infections. 

On February 23, the Private Sector Advisory Council announced that five local pharmaceutical companies have signed up to produce anti-TB medicines.

During Thursday’s press conference, Herbosa stated that the country has been experiencing a rise in TB cases, with new cases reaching new cases reaching 612,534 as of December 2023.