The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) have set a 2026 target to screen 12 million Filipinos for tuberculosis (TB) as they ramp up efforts to curb the disease through expanded prevention and treatment measures.

In a joint statement, the WHO and DOH said the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program allocates P4.2 billion to expand and accelerate TB services, almost double the P2.6 billion budget in 2025.

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa noted that the Philippines has begun utilizing ultra-portable, AI-assisted chest X-rays and WHO-recommended Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT) to swiftly identify and confirm TB cases.

“We are already using an innovative all-oral regimen for drug-resistant TB, that cuts the treatment from 2 years to only 6 months with a higher treatment success rate,” he said.

“We are integrating the complete cascade of care in DOH-governed BUCAS centers and primary care facilities under LGUs.”

The statement noted that prevention measures were boosted by the deployment of shorter Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) regimens and wider contact investigation, helping push TPT enrollment up by over 50 percent in 2024.

“TPT has likewise been expanded to cover contacts of drug-resistant TB cases and is now under advanced programmatic implementation,” it added.

As such, it noted that children with non-severe, drug-susceptible TB are now being offered a shortened treatment regimen—from six months to four months—using 2HRZE/2HR.

It added that the government provides the full continuum of care for Filipinos affected by TB.

According to the DOH, ongoing efforts now include wider social and behavior change communication initiatives intended to cover all barangays and puroks nationwide.

“Community-based health education caravans, including the TPTodo campaign, highlight the importance of taking TPT and recognizing the benefits of seeking early care,” the statement said.

It noted that the DOH is heading the national drive to end TB through the Philippine Acceleration Action Plan for Tuberculosis (PAAP-TB 2023–2035), which sets the multisectoral framework for collaborative action across government, civil society, and private partners to achieve TB elimination by 2035.

Dr. Eunyoung Ko, the acting WHO representative to the Philippines, stressed that tuberculosis is a global issue, and every country’s progress moves the world nearer to eliminating the disease.

“We know what works, and we’re seeing some encouraging results here in the Philippines,” she said.

Dr. Eunyoung said the WHO remains steadfast in supporting the DOH at both the central and sub-national levels.

“Together, we are strengthening case-finding, getting more people on preventive medicines, and helping people who are infected stick to their treatment plan. Places like Guimaras—which is aiming to become the country’s first TB-free island—are showing what can be achieved,” she went on.

In 2024, the world saw an estimated 10.7 million tuberculosis cases, with the Philippines contributing 6.8 percent, translating to 625 cases for every 100,000 Filipinos.

Despite a slight 3 percent year-on-year decline, TB continues to be one of the country’s top killers, taking about 98 Filipino lives daily.