Excellencies, colleagues,

The Philippines is honored to be here at the launch of the Alliance of Countries on the Fight against Tuberculosis, along with Co-Chairs Indonesia, Nigeria, and Poland, and other Alliance members[1], WHO partners and fellow warriors on the fight against tuberculosis. 

Thank you to Indonesia for leading us in this initiative and for graciously hosting the launch (and the lunch) here at your Mission.

As a strong champion in the fight against TB, the Philippines has always welcomed every avenue and every initiative to end, by 2030, this top infectious killer. This commitment is a national priority, and upon the clear directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, underscoring the urgency of the problem and emphasizing the collective role and contribution of each stakeholder, partner, organization, and individual in the fight.

From 2017 to 2022, the Philippines was able to find and treat 2.1 million people with tuberculosis. Though this is 400,000 short of the 2.5 million people the country committed by 2022, we still consider this an achievement, considering the monumental health system challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the 2023 Global TB Report by the World Health Organization, the Philippines is one of the top 8 countries contributing to the global burden of tuberculosis, which is at 7%. However, it is also worth noting that the same report stated that the Philippines, along with India and Indonesia, was able to recover and exceed pre-pandemic performance in case notifications. The improvement in case notifications is a product of the implementation of the TB Adaptive Plan which provided guidelines to ensure that TB services were uninterrupted during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of innovation and collaboration in addressing public health challenges. We appreciate the support of international partners in piloting new technologies, which improved access to TB services, especially through private sector engagement.

Moving forward, our focus is on enhancing the capacity of primary care facilities to deliver comprehensive TB services under the Universal Health Care Law. The Philippines is implementing innovative strategies for case finding and treatment, including shorter regimens and expanded TB preventive therapy coverage.

Recognizing the need for a multi-sectoral approach, we launched last year the Philippine Accelerated Action Plan for TB, involving stakeholders from education, labor, and social protection; and will roll-out a communication and localization plan to support plan implementation and monitor progress across sectors.

Excellencies, colleagues,

Through this Alliance, we stand in solidarity with all of you in fostering collaboration among members, other states, and partners to strengthen implementation commitments essential for TB control. This includes promoting initiatives supporting countries' access to new technologies and drugs like the TB vaccine, while also sharing its own innovations in TB management.

Our participation in the Alliance is multifaceted. We seek to pool resources, knowledge, and expertise to combat TB effectively. Central to this endeavor is the emphasis on translating commitments into tangible actions, such as improving healthcare infrastructure and enhancing diagnostic capabilities.

Through the Alliance, we also intend to promote both existing and potential new strategies to support countries in their fight against TB - advocating for policy changes, sharing best practices, and mobilizing resources to enhance TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Ultimately, the goal is to concretely contribute to global efforts to bring about a transformative impact on the ground.

Thank you. We look forward to working together with all of you.  END