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Manila Bulletin devider devider Japanese company provides DOH, RITM advance technology for TB diagnosis

Japanese company provides DOH, RITM advance technology for TB diagnosis

Published Feb 1, 2019 09:23 pm
By Roy Mabasa Japanese company Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd is sharing with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) its advanced technology on the diagnosis of tuberculosis given the Philippines’ high ranking among the TB-burdened countries in the Asia Pacific region. Called TB-LAMP or Loop-Mediated Isothermal Application machine, the technology is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a rapid and robust test to diagnose TB in peripheral health centers. The initiative to bring the Japanese technology to the Philippines is part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) collaboration with the private sector to help address development issues, including health. According to JICA, the technology requires minimal laboratory infrastructure and has been evaluated as an alternative to sputum smear microscopy, still the most widespread test in use in resource-limited settings. The Japanese agency said the TB LAMP technology has been pilot-tested in three health centers in Laguna, Las Pinas City, and Antipolo City. It will also be distributed in TB high-risk areas identified by the DOH, namely Province of Romblon, San Lazaro Hospital, and Commonwealth Health Center in Quezon City. According to a recent WHO report, TB mortality rate in the Philippines is placed at 25 per 100,000 population. It added that worldwide, the disease kills 5,000 people every day and has resulted in various socio-economic impact, including poverty, stigma, and discrimination. While the illness is still plaguing quite a number of people in the Philippines, TB has also remained a health issue even in advanced countries including Japan, with new TB cases reported among the elderly, according to a 2016 Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (JATA) Report. Since the machine offers easy and rapid diagnosis, identified TB patients can immediately be transferred to a hospital specializing in TB treatment, which eventually decreases the risk of secondary infection. “Japan’s research institutions and private sector companies possess expertise in varying health issues. Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), we’d like to pilot said technology to vulnerable areas in the Philippines, contribute to effectively addressing the TB burden, and promote quality of life among Filipinos,” JICA Philippines Senior Representative Ayumu Ohshima said in a statement on Friday.
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