TB cases in Antique province alarm town mayor

CASE FINDING. The provincial health office conducts active case finding on tuberculosis (TB) in the Municipality of Culasi on Aug. 1, 2024. Antique province has 759 reported TB cases during the first quarter of 2024. | PHOTO: Culasi Local Government Unit

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The mayor of Laua-an has expressed alarm over high cases of highly contagious tuberculosis (TB) infections in their municipality.

Joenes Jereza, Nurse II and Health Promotion Designate of the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), said they diagnosed 224 cases from Laua-an and treated 175 patients in 2023.

They diagnosed 46 cases in the first quarter of this year, a bit lower than the 50 cases in the same period last year.

Jereza said these recorded cases might have close contact with TB patients and could have acquired the disease through droplets, causing an increase in the cases.

The health officer attributed the high detection rate to the active case finding with the help of the Department of Health,  the Global Fund, and free mobile X-rays.

Mayor Aser Baladjay said in an interview Wednesday that he issued a directive for all front-liners, particularly barangay health workers (BHWs), to use facemasks to prevent the further spread of the disease.

“There are two barangays in our municipality where TB cases have been confirmed,” he said, adding that most of the cases came from Barangays Jaguiquican and Jinalinan.

Meanwhile, the province of Antique, as of the first quarter of 2024, has 759 reported TB cases, with a 19-percent treatment coverage rate. For the same period last year, the province recorded 728 cases.

The total cases for 2023 were 3,180, with a 79-percent treatment coverage rate.

“Patients are urged to go to their RHUs once they have the warning signs of TB such as fever, cough, and weight loss,” he said.

He said the treatment for the first two months is crucial to prevent transmission to close contacts and other vulnerable groups. (PNA)