WHO Partnership Expands TB Testing in Cebu to Combat High Disease Burden
WHO Partnership Expands TB Testing in Cebu to Combat High Burden

WHO Partnership Expands TB Testing in Cebu to Combat High Disease Burden

Provincial Health Consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan revealed on Monday, February 23, 2026, a groundbreaking new collaboration with a World Health Organization delegation to significantly expand community-based tuberculosis testing across Cebu Province. This initiative is designed to strengthen diagnostic capacity and integrate comprehensive screenings into primary care systems, directly addressing the region's persistently high burden of TB cases.

Urgent Public Health Challenge

Catalan emphasized that tuberculosis remains one of the Philippines' most critical and urgent public health challenges. The country continues to be listed among the world's high-burden TB nations, with alarming statistics showing an estimated 625 cases per 100,000 population and approximately 98 deaths occurring daily nationwide. This sobering reality underscores the vital importance of enhanced detection and intervention strategies.

Early Detection as Cornerstone Strategy

The WHO delegation, led by Dr. Clarissa Dayrit-Halum, is providing crucial support to improve TB detection mechanisms and expand access to diagnostic services throughout the province. Catalan stressed that early detection serves as the fundamental cornerstone for identifying drug-resistant cases and preventing further transmission within communities. In a detailed Facebook post, Catalan outlined multiple benefits of early diagnosis:

  • Higher cure rates through timely intervention
  • Prevention of silent transmission within families and communities
  • Reduction of severe illness and TB-related deaths
  • Detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis strains
  • Protection of vulnerable populations and healthcare workers

Comprehensive Implementation Plan

To expand testing access and accelerate treatment initiation, Cebu Province is implementing a multi-faceted approach:

  1. Increasing diagnostic and laboratory capacity across all provincial health facilities
  2. Integrating TB screening into primary care units and hospital systems
  3. Targeting high-risk populations with specialized outreach programs
  4. Strengthening referral systems for faster treatment initiation

Catalan reiterated that tuberculosis is both preventable and curable when detected early, emphasizing that early diagnosis represents the key to stopping transmission chains, reducing severe illness and fatalities, and identifying drug-resistant cases to better protect entire communities.