Tuberculosis, a contagious and potentially fatal bacterial disease, remains one of the world’s major causes of death, despite its virtual eradication from developed countries.

The World Health Organization report for World Tuberculosis Day, March 24, states that without better drugs and diagnostics, the fight against TB could last for centuries. According to this report, nearly nine million people contracted TB in 2005, and 1.6 million died from the disease.

Spread through air like the common cold, TB attacks the respiratory system. One-third of the world's population is infected with TB microbes, though only around ten percent of these people fall sick.

Because people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable, TB has taken hold in communities with a high level of HIV, and remains the top cause for AIDS deaths. 

Over half the world's TB cases are in Asian developing countries, with major hotspots including India, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Solutions lie in public health

In the Philippines, World Vision has partnered with the Global Fund and the Philippines government to create public health, diagnosis and awareness programmes for TB.

As well as training health workers to screen for TB and monitor cases, they have organized TB Task Forces, made up of teachers, farmers, fishemen, local officials, housewives and health workers.

These community volunteers work within their neighbourhoods to identify symptoms of TB, refer patients to public health facilities for consultation and become treatment partners for the patients they’ve referred.

Recently, World Vision threw a party for around 100 sponsored children in Bataan province, Luzon, to celebrate the end of their six month course. The children, aged between 6 and 12 years old, had taken medication daily and patiently submitted to regular monitoring tests.

Now their hard work had paid off in a clean bill of health and it was time to celebrate.

Wearing party hats and party clothes, the children received orange and blue balloons instead of the usual diploma or plaque of recognition. World Vision TB mascot, Tibinoy, provided added fun to the meaningful event

“We would like the children to feel good about themselves for completing the treatment for tuberculosis. This is a big accomplishment for them considering that at their young age, they’ve already won over a deadly disease,” says Zenia Capiral, World Vision regional coordinator for Northwest Luzon.

World Vision also recognised the presence of parents, “for without whom, their children’s health would not be regained.”

“I’m so thankful to World Vision for providing not only my education, but more importantly, medicines for my medication. Drinking the medicines was difficult because of the awful taste but “nanay” (mother) insisted that I take my medicines without fail,” said Sandra, aged 10.

According to Sandra’s mother, Irene, Sandra and her younger sister Cecile, also a sponsored child, easily got tired and always had difficulty of breathing. They often missed school.

“Now, they can study better and still have energy to dance,” said Irene, watching Sandra run and play without a trace of her former sickness.

The sponsored children were part of the TB in Children program, a government initiative in which World Vision plays an active part. Currently almost one million Filipinos are receiving health benefits from this program. The Philippines is rated by the WHO as 9th out of 22 countries worldwide with an unacceptably high prevalence of tuberculosis.

WHO - Ten facts about tuberculosis