Tropical Disease Foundation receives P235M from Chevron to combat TB

MANILA, Philippines - Chevron Corp has pledged to invest $30 million over three years to eradicate the deadly disease tuberculosis, GMANews.TV learned Thursday. Chevron would pour the amount into newly launched Global Fund Corporate Champions program, which would kick off health projects in parts of Asia and Africa. The Global Fund Corporate Champions program is an innovative way for multinational corporations to invest significantly in the fight against tuberculosis AIDS and malaria. “We are very pleased to work with Chevron because of the company’s dedication to community’s engagement programs," Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of Global Fund said. Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF), being the principal recipient of a Global Fund grant, will receive $5 million share or an estimated P235 million to help save Filipinos from the daunting scourge of tuberculosis. “We are eager to collaborate with Chevron, a company that has proven a track record of dedicating time and energy in establishing poverty-alleviating community engagement programs such providing equitable access to TB services and care," Dr. Thelma Tupasi, President of TDF said. According to Randy Johnson, Country chairman and General manager of Chevron Phil. Inc., the partnership is not just about the numbers. Instead, it is about Chevron’s unwavering commitment to “human energy" to ensure the eradication of tuberculosis in the Philippines. “The TDF shares our belief that it takes community action to stop the spread of disease," Johnson said. “We will work with the Foundation to leverage our human energy in support of sustainable initiatives that are directed toward the prevention, treatment and care of TB." Tuberculosis Every hour three people lose their lives due to tuberculosis (TB). Airborne and highly contagious, anybody, rich or poor, could risk contracting the disease. Speaking before the Chevron Corp.-Global Fund-and TDF Partnership in Shari-La, Makati, Tupasi explained that TB is easily transmitted through airborne routes such as sneezing, coughing and even talking. What is more alarming is that the “Philippines ranked ninth among the 22 high burden countries for tuberculosis globally" with “42 per 100,000 population mortality rate annually." The Philippines also have a very high rate of multi-drug resistant form of tuberculosis, Tupasi said. Goal of the project The partnership’s over-all of goal is to reduce the incidence and mortality of TB by 50 percent in 2010. The main objective, meanwhile, is to maintain and increase the cure rate at least by 85 percent and a case detection rate to at least 70 percent. Tuberculosis as economic problem “Why TB?" Johnson said “Because tuberculosis in its current state presents a very grave danger to the people and the economy of the Philippines." Tupasi agreed with Johnson. Citing a study by John Peabody, Tupas said the Philippines loses more than P35 million in wages annually due to TB. “The TB epidemic in the Philippines is closely linked with poverty and is a threat to the economic prosperity of the country," she said. According to Tupasi, in order to come up with a prosperous nation, there’s a need for healthy population. This can only be done, Tupasi said, “through universal access to health care." “Cost of treatment will result [in] 10 times return of investment," she added. Tuberculosis classified: TB infection and TB disease So many people are infected but not all have the disease, Tupasi explained. A person with a TB infection is the one who acquired the disease through the inhalation of the bacteria, mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB infection, according to Tupasi, is not contagious. “If you have an infection there’s a possibility you can control it and it doesn’t turn into a disease. (You can even cure it depending on) your body mechanism," she told GMANews.TV “Unless," she further said, “you are very severely compromised and your defenses weaken, then you develop [the] disease." Tuberculosis disease, meanwhile, is the contagious one. “If you’re somebody who actually just keeps on long hours, does not rest, does not eat -- malnourish people easily come down with TB disease." The person with TB disease has radiographic findings of lung destruction or abnormalities in other organs, and therefore excretes the bacteria through his sputum or even his breath. Symptoms of TB “Cough" is actually one of the most important symptoms of tuberculosis, Tupasi said. “If the cough has been long running for almost two weeks - except if it is because of bronchial asthma - and if there is blood in the sputum, then consider the possibility of tuberculosis," Tupasi said. Tupasi said that blood in the sputum is really a warning sign – “although not everybody will have that." Backache and loss of weight are also warning signs, she said. According to Tupasi, the best way to prevent the disease is to treat the infectious patient so that he will have no chance of transmitting it. “We must tell patient who have symptoms to seek care. They have to know where to get the services. They have to know that all public facilities and that Private and Public Mix DOTS (directly observed treatment, short-course) can provide TB care for free." Information dissemination “We are striving to raise awareness of the programs and health risks associated with AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to encourage others to join Global Fund Corporate Champions," said Antonio Lee, President and Gen. Manager of Chevron Geothermal Phil. Holdings, Inc. In addition to that, Johnson said they would spread fliers, posters, audio-visual presentations to make the public aware of their shared mission. Meanwhile, Tupasi said they would encourage all those who have TB symptoms to go to the health centers for checkup. TB is “curable," Tupasi said. All TB patients have to do is to know where the health centers are and everything will be provided for them – even their transportation fee, according to Tupasi. “There is a lot of advocacy, communication, and talks going on in the country now to make people more aware of the signs of TB and where they can get care. It’s available in all public facilities ran by local government units under the leadership of local governments in collaboration with the Department of Health as it policy making body," Tupasi said. The TDF is a staunch ally of DOH. The DOH-TDF partnership started in 1997 when the Foundation was commissioned to do the 2nd Nationwide Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey. In a response to the survey, TDF set up the DOTS in Makati Medical Center in close collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Control Program. Since 2007, with the grant support from Global Fund, TDF has been training more than 8,175 service deliverers to provide quality TB services. TDF also started the management of drug resistant tuberculosis, the first project approved by the Green Light Committee, a scientific body under the World Health Organization. Today, this project is being mainstreamed into the NTP. It also provided equitable access to TB patients with TB and provided programmatic management for multi-drug resistant form of TB for 1,000 patients not responding to anti-TB drugs. - GMANews.TV