Through the joint effort of the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the USAID from the American People , TB-LINC has conducted a nationwide education on what the National TB Program (NTP) is all about and DOTS or Directly Observed Treatment Short Courses as an approach to prevent and manage Tuberculosis (TB).
Being one of the leading service providers of DOLE-Stanfilco in Maragusan, MAGROW-MPC has delegated participants to attend the first Program Management Training on TB-DOTS in the Workplace held on January 13-14, 2010 at the Grand Regal Hotel, Lanang, Davao City. Other participating companies were the MUSAHAFAT Banana Plantation of Pantukan, ASIAPRO of Maragusan and CRYSTAL Sugar Company of Maramag, Bukidnon. The said activity was also participated by the Health Officers of the concerned regions led by Dr.Eloisa Lyn Segura of Davao City.
According to survey, Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health problem in the Philippines and continues to kill 75 Filipinos daily. Tb incidence is highest among productive age group (20-59 years old) which is the common age range among the workers. MAGROW has a total labor workers of about 1,075 and have undergone X-rays and sputum smear test. Among this count, 75 has been found to have been infected while 8 workers turned to have positive x-ray results. No Smear positive (+) workers however was found. If no measure to reduce the spread of TB will be done, it would only a matter of time before it impacts the business bottom line.
MAGROW enjoins to support the reduction of TB incidence in the local community by initiating efforts within the workplace and its immediate communities to prevent and control the spread of tuberculosis. Key strategy is DOTS to be supplemented by active TB education and prevention campaigns and other provisions of CUP in the TB Management.
The TB-DOTS is a partnership program of MAGROW and the local government unit.
