Stop TB: "Kaya Mo, Kaya Ko"

In celebration of our Lung month, the Municipal health office of Candoni decided to hold a public parade as part of our advocacy campaign against TB or tuberculosis. As far as data is concerned, Candoni has a high Cure rate but still a very low detection rate, thus, TB still contributes to our top ten Mortality and Morbidity cases. With our aggressive campaign, we are hoping to erase the "stigma" among TB suspects and even within the community. People who feel that they have the disease are afraid to come out of the open for fear of being isolated. This behavior seems to contribute to the growing number of silent TB patients who are not diagnosed and are therefore not started with their treatment. Some of them eventually die due to complications of the disease. This morning, along with all of my barangay health workers, staff, community volunteers and barangay leaders, we went around Poblacion carrying streamers informing the public that it is time to really get serious with Tuberculosis. We wore our newly printed shirts with this year's slogan: Stop TB, Kaya Mo, Kaya Ko. During the simple ceremony at the plaza after the parade, the Mayor assured us of his support, citing his own measures that would prevent the further spread of this communicable disease. During the program also, we invited former TB patients who were cured through the TB DOTS program to give their testimonies. The most common benefit they have gained from being treated from TB was, I would say, a better sex life. On the 28th, we will be launching our TB DOTS center and will start our "quest" for the accreditation of our TB DOTS center. Expected guests are the Provincial health Officer, Provincial NTP Coordinator and TB LINC representatives.

Below are pictures of this morning's affair: