Kids star on the observance of TB Awareness Day

More than 200 children ages five years old and below starred in the recently concluded Bulacan TB Awareness Day wherein they learned and enjoyed together with their parents, health workers and volunteers.

In the said event held in San Miguel, Bulacan, Dr. Joel Parungao of USAID-IMPACT talked about TB among children. After the talk, they had a quiz game to see if the children have learned from the talk and were given vitamins as prizes.

They were also given free Tuberculine Skin Test and bags with hygiene kit.

Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando said he and Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado are strictly monitoring threatening health issues to Bulakenyos.

“Yung kabataan ngayon iba, ‘di tulad noon may mga physical game, ngayon computer, ano na lang ang gumagalaw? Daliri na lang at mata, tapos tsitsirya, unhealthy food, unhealthy games, hindi na pinapawisan. Ang kailangan tulungan natin na palakasin ang katawan, kumain ng masustansyang pagkain dahil kapag mahina ang katawan, hindi lang TB ang maaaring makuha ng bata kundi marami pang ibang sakit kasi madali na silang mahahawa,” Fernando said.

On the other hand, Dr. Jocelyn Gomez, head of the Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), said that the province is not celebrating tuberculosis instead holds TB Awareness Day in order to help Bulakenyos be more informed of the danger that TB can bring.

“Sa kabila ng ating pagsisikap na maalis ang sakit na ito, dumarami pa rin ang kaso at may mga namamatay pa rin sa buong mundo, ito ang patuloy nating lalabanan dahil libre naman ang gamot nito. Ang kailangan lang ‘pag may ‘di maipaliwanag na lagnat at ubo na mahigit dalawang lingo, magpunta agad sa pinakamalapit na health center and with the help from the DOH, libre ang anim na buwang gamutan,” paliwanag ni Dr. Gomez.

According to the PPHO records, there were 1, 602 children out of 6, 173 TB cases in the province last year who were reported with TB and are still undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, Bulacan had an 85% cure rate from TB in 2012.

The World Health Organization explains that children can develop TB disease at any age, but the severe forms of TB are most common among children between 1 and 4 years of age. Children can get sick with TB disease very soon after being infected with TB bacteria, or they can get sick at any time later in life. They can even infect their own children decades later, if not treated.