Bulacan observes TB Awareness Day, focuses on kids
CITY OF MALOLOS – In one with the world in the observance of World TB Day, the Provincial Government of Bulacan through the Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) will hold a TB Awareness Day that focuses on children on March 24, 2015 at 8:00 in the morning in San Miguel, Bulacan.
With the theme “Hanapin, Gamutin, Pagalingin”, the observation aims to create public awareness on Tuberculosis and stresses that children are also susceptible to the disease. It also aims to strengthen partnerships among the different sectors towards a sustainable TB health program for children.
The PPHO in cooperation with the Bulacan Multi-Sectoral Alliance to control TB and USAID-IMPACT will fill the day with talks about TB in children at the same time have fun games and booths to make it more appealing to kids.
“Never under estimate a disease that kills. We should never stop the battle especially with life threatening diseases. TB is one of them and what can we do? Palakasin ang resistensya, kumain ng tama most especially the children because if they are sick, inaagaw ng sakit ang pagiging bata nila, minsan pati kinabukasan nila,” Alvarado said.
According to the World Health Organization, at present, TB remains an epidemic in much of the world causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million people each year and 74,000 of them were children.
Based on the PPHO records, there were 1,602 reported TB in children cases in 2014.
The governor said that the observance signals the province’s renewed effort in addressing the increased cases of TB in Bulacan. But more than exerting efforts in locating those undiagnosed, untreated or uncured individuals, it is the commitment and the heart to really win the fight that counts not only from the side of the government but from everyone.
The World Health Organization explains that children can develop TB disease at any age, but the severe forms of TB are most common among children between 1 and 4 years of age. Children can get sick with TB disease very soon after being infected with TB bacteria, or they can get sick at any time later in life. They can even infect their own children, decades later, if not treated.