APRIL 20, 2016

NR # 4176B

Proposed Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Plan Act

awaits approval and signature of President Aquino
A bill seeking to establish a Comprehensive Philippine Plan of Action to Eliminate
Tuberculosis as a public health problem is now awaiting the approval and signature of President
Aquino after the measure was passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives prior to the
congressional adjournment.
The Senate approved on third and final reading on January 18, 2016 its version of the
proposal embodied in Senate Bill 2653. The House for its part passed House Bill 5042 on third and
final reading as early as Oct. 29, 2014 and subsequently adopted SB 2653 as an amendment to House
Bill 5042 on Jan. 19, 2016.
On March 29, 2016, enrolled copies of SB 2653, which is authored by Senator Teofisto TG
L. Guingona III, and adopted as an amendment to HB 5042, were sent to Malacaang, through the
Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), for the approval and signature of the President.
House Bill 5042 substituted House Bills 259 and 3178, both authored by Rep. Angelina
Helen DL Tan, M.D. (4th District, Quezon), and HB 299 by Rep. Eulogio Amang R. Magsaysay
(Party-list, AVE).
Tan hopes that through the proposal, the country will not only achieve but also surpass its
objective under the Global Plan on Tuberculosis, which seeks to reduce the prevalence and mortality
of TB in the country.
Citing the World Health Organization Global Tuberculosis Report 2012, Tan said the
Philippines is on the Top 22 high-burden TB countries in the world. It ranks the country ninth among
196 countries.
TB disease is highly contagious as each person with active TB can spread the disease to 10
other Filipinos each year. Presently, an estimated 200,000 to 600,000 Filipinos have active TB, aside
from the fact that an estimated 80 percent of them have latent TB, said Tan.
Tan further said that TB, an infection caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis that can be
passed on to another person through tiny droplets spread by coughing and sneezing, is the number six
leading cause of death in the country with 73 Filipinos dying every day.
Despite government efforts to improve the early detection and treatment of TB, Tan said the
countrys benchmark figure on the case detection rate; treatment success rate and cure rate are
declining mainly because of various systematic and social factors, such as widespread poverty.
The proposal seeks to eliminate the scourge of TB in the country by establishing a national
plan for TB prevention, detection, treatment and control by increasing investment in tuberculosis
control, and enjoining the government, non governmental organizations (NGOs), and other
concerned sectors to band together in putting an end to this nationwide epidemic, said Tan, a Vice
Chairperson of the House Committees on Social Service and on Labor and Employment.

Senate Bill 2653, to be known as the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Plan Act
provides the State is mandated to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health
development.
Towards this end, the State shall support and expand efforts to eliminate tuberculosis as a
public health problem by increasing investments for its prevention, treatment and control, and
adopting a multi-sectoral approach in responding to the disease.
The bill mandates the Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) to establish a
Comprehensive Philippine Plan of Action to Eliminate Tuberculosis in consultation with
appropriate public and private entities.
The Philippine Plan of Action shall consist of the following: the country's targets and
strategies in addressing TB; prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and support, and other components
of the country's response; development and application of appropriate technologies to diagnose and
treat the disease; strengthening of linkages with local and international organizations for possible
partnership in education, advocacy, research and funding assistance; establishment of a review and
monitoring system to gather data and monitor the progress made in the elimination of TB; and
immediate mobilization of anti-TB services during and after natural and man- made disasters through
collaborative efforts of national and local governments and other entities.
The National Coordinating Committee (NCC) and the Regional Coordinating Committee
(RCC) of the DOH shall serve as the National TB Control Program's (NTP's) arm in strengthening
and supporting nationwide capacity for program operations and bridging collaborative efforts
between the public and private sector.
The DOH Secretary, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED),
shall encourage the faculty of schools of medicine, nursing or medical technology and allied health
institutions, to intensify information and education programs, including the development of curricula,
to significantly increase the opportunities for students and for practicing providers to learn the
principles and practices of preventing, detecting, managing, and controlling tuberculosis.
Moreover, the DOH Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of
Education (DepED), shall work for the inclusion of modules on the principles and practices of
preventing, detecting, managing and controlling TB in the health curriculum of every public and
private elementary and high school.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall strengthen its implementation of the No
prescription, No anti-TB drugs to regulate the sale and use of anti-TB drugs in the market. It shall
also ensure the quality of TB drugs distributed in the market.
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), shall, as far as practicable, expand
its benefit package for TB patients to include new, relapse and return-after-default cases, and
extension of treatment. The PhilHealth shall enhance its present outpatient Directly Observed
Treatment Short Course (DOTS) package to make it more responsive to patients' needs. It shall
likewise increase the number of accredited DOTS facilities to widen target beneficiaries who may
avail of reimbursements. (30) rbb