The Problem.

HEALTH ISSUES

          The danger of TB is real. Out of 196 countries, the Philippines has the distinction of being included in the top 22 high-burden tuberculosis countries in the world. This report is according to the World Health Organizations (WHO), which ranks the Philippines at number nine worldwide. Together, these 22 countries (including the Philippines) contribute 80 percent of the global TB burden. Tuberculosis is a disease of poverty, a major public health problem and the high TB burden is a reflection of the economic status. In fact, after China, the Philippines had the second highest number of TB cases in the WHO Western Pacific Region in 2007.

​

          In the Municipality of Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte Province, records show that Tuberculosis is the top 9 leading cause of morbidity as of 2015. As of 2015, Barangay Biayon has a 50% case detection rate and 50% treatment success rate. During the survey on October 2015, there were 8 suspected Tuberculosis cases on the basis of chronic cough for more than 2 weeks, night sweats, weight loss and low grade fever. These 8 suspected patients had not undergone direct sputum smear examination upon interview on October 2015.

​

          Moreover, based from the performance of the municipality, TB case detection rates for the past two years in the Municipality were progressively increasing from 54% in 2013 to 91% in 2014. However, in 2015, there was an appalling change that led to a constant decrease of Case Detection Rate to 50%. Such results seem to have given a glitch in the municipality which can have an effect in the existing prevalence of TB infection.