The Philippines has the fourth highest TB burden in the world and contributes 7% of global cases, behind India (27%), Indonesia (10%), and China (7.1%), according to the World Health Organization’s Global TB Report 2021. But for the archipelagic country with 7,640 islands, citizens’ access to healthcare and diagnostic tools has been one of the greatest barriers to addressing TB.
An article in Health Policy Watch describes how new technology brings TB diagnosis closer to people and how important is to fight stigma and discrimination surrounding TB.