The Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (JATA), a Japanese NGO, held the “Seminar on Creating Understanding on Data and Knowledge Management of Community Based Responses Against Tuberculosis” as part of the Tuberculosis Control Project in Socio-economically Underprivileged Urban Area in Metro Manila, Philippines “Stop TB para sa Lahat” at the Orchid Garden Suites , in Manila from February 23 to 24, 2010 .
(Minister Tomochika Uyama with Philippine government representatives from National TB Programme, DOHCHD-NCR etc. delivered welcome remarks at the Workshop, Orchid Garden Suites, Metro Manila on February 23.)
The Philippines remains to be highly burdened by the tuberculosis (TB) and one of the worst twenty-two countries hampered by this life-threatening communicable disease in the world. It also ranks the fourth of high TB incidence in the Western Pacific Region, according to the WHO report in 2008. How to fight MDRTB (Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis) is particularly important to prevent tuberculosis from spreading.
The fight against this disease continues to be a major global health concern. The Direct Observed Treatment, Short Course - or DOTS, of which the minimum period is six months- is the core strategy of TB therapy and the Philippines has already acquir ed the WHO standard for this treatment. The prevalence rate of TB, however, continues to be relatively high especially in urban unhygienic or slum areas, because of the problems such as overcrowded and poor hygiene situation, inaccessibility for health workers to enter these areas, insufficient facilities for TB treatment, and discontinued treatment due to frequent relocation of patients, among others.
During the last phase in 2008 , the Research Institute for Tuberculosis/JATA has contributed in the urban unhygienic or slum areas, through building networks with Philippine NGOs acting in the area. Through the network, they have shared the information about the patients, have educated the people in the area and have trained the health workers for the area. This year, it continues the project that aims to improve TB control through quality assurance of TB DOTS, by training and tracking the patients. These activities with Philippine NGOs and Philippine Government (ex. DOH) build the system to complete the DOTS for the patients.
This yearly Workshop is held for Philippine NGOs, now totaling twenty-eight groups, for the purpose of reviewing this project and discussing activities for the next project as well as sharing problems, discussing assessment and planning future steps. In 2008, the Research Institute for Tuberculosis/JATA held the Workshop for Tuberculosis by the NGOs and the Philippine government for the first time. The second workshop was carried out in 2009, and this workshop from February 23 to 24 is the third one.
The contract that was signed on May 27, 2009 marked the appropriation to this project of US $ 303,226 ( approximately Php 14.2 million ) from the “Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects” under Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA). Around 440,000 urban low-income residents of Payatas in Quezon City and Tondo, Manila will benefit from this project.
The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects was launched in 2002 to enhance cooperation between the Government of Japan and NGOs in the implementation of ODA to promote effective and efficient aid for developing countries. In the Philippines, 18 projects in various sectors worth approximately Php 70 million have been funded by this program.
Japanese Version
