Philippines

To curb the spread of TB and reduce the incidence rate—currently the fourth highest in the world—MSF started activities in the capital, Manila, in 2021. In 2022, we launched new activities with a mobile X-ray truck in the district of Tondo, one of the capital’s most densely populated and impoverished areas, where people are most susceptible to TB infection. In collaboration with the Manila Health Department, our teams provided health promotion to encourage people to undergo chest X-ray examination. Patients are then referred to local health centers for treatment. Our teams also conduct home visits immediately after the diagnosis to screen households’ close contacts, administer TB skin tests, and offer preventive TB treatment to children. Early diagnosis and treatment are some of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of TB.

In Marawi, in the southern part of the Philippines, we continue to assist people displaced and affected by the armed confrontation between government forces and pro-Islamic State group militants in 2017. We provide general and mental health care, as well as treatment for non-communicable diseases. In December, after the acute and post-emergency phases of our medical response, we closed the project and handed over activities to local health organizations.