On March 24, we will commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day not just to raise awareness about the consequences brought by this global epidemic but also to bring it again to the spotlight amidst another global health issue.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reversed the progress that we have achieved in the elimination of tuberculosis in the country. We will not let this happen again this year. In 2021, we will get back on track and find as many missing TB cases as possible to bring us back on course to a TB-free Philippines.

With this year’s World TB Day theme ‘The Clock is Ticking’, our call to end TB should be as loud and urgent as it can be. We need to convey that we are running out of time to act on the commitments made by the country and other global leaders to end TB. Despite the threat of COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue making progress to ensure finding and treating 2.5 million TB cases by 2022.

Join us on March 24 as we find our way to get TB back on track. With the support from patients, survivors, volunteers, partners, health workers, and local and national leaders, we will bounce back and make good progress again to achieving a TB-free Philippines.