RP hosts World TB Day today

The battle against tuberculosis (TB) goes global today.

Dubbed "The Global Plan: To Stop TB (2006 to 2015)," the worldwide effort to accelerate efforts to combat TB worldwide involves a partnership of governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), the private sector and other concerned sectors.

TB claims over two million lives each year. Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics chief executive officer Dr. Giorgo Roscigno said there are nine million new TB cases reported worldwide annually.

Roscigno, a member of the executive committee of the multi-sectoral group Stop TB Partnership, also said TB is curable and preventable, so the suffering and death caused by TB is "unnecessary."

The global plan is an offshoot of the Stop TB Partnership’s first global plan, which covered the years 2001 to 2006. The objective of the first global plan to stop TB was to detect 70 percent of TB cases and make Direct Observed Treatment Strategy (DOTS) therapy available for 90 percent of TB patients.

Roscigno said the goals of the first global plan to stop TB were met and that they hope to achieve more under the new global plan.

The program proponents intend to save 14 million people from the ravages of TB, also known as consumption, and its complications; treat 50 million people, including about 800,000 patients diagnosed with multi-drug resistant TB; and expand equitable access to quality TB diagnostics and treatment.

Other program targets include providing anti-retroviral treatment to three million patients who are infected with both the TB bacteria and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); introduce the first new TB drugs in 40 years by 2010; and shorten TB therapy regimens from six to two months.

The total budget for the project is $56 billion, of which $47 billion will be used for the implementation of currently available interventions and $9 billion of which will be spent on research and development.

The project proponents said they expect to obtain more financial support for the project.

Roscigno said there are now 22 countries that are "heavily burdened" by TB, adding that the Philippines is ninth on this list.

"TB is not an easy disease to control," he said. "(But) if we all do our part, we can beat TB."