MANILA: The Philippines has been intensifying its fight against tuberculosis (TB) with an ambitious goal to screen 12 million Filipinos nationwide by 2026, the country's Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday.
To expand and accelerate TB services, the agency said on social media that it has proposed a 4.2-billion-peso (about $71 million) budget for 2026, nearly double the 2.6 billion pesos ($44 million) earmarked in 2025.
"In the Philippines, we are already using ultra-portable, AI-powered chest X-rays and WHO-recommended Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests to quickly screen and diagnose TB cases, " Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa was cited by the DOH as saying.