DOH eyes TB elimination by 2022

But rapid increase in drug-resistant TB infections, deaths presents growing challenge

THE Department of Health (DOH) announced an ambitious strategy to move from “control” to “elimination” of tuberculosis in the Philippines in commemoration of World Tuberculosis Day on Friday last week but new research published the same day by doctors in South Africa warned that “new antibiotics that could treat tuberculosis may rapidly become ineffective,” in part because of widespread misuse of medications in countries where TB is prevalent.