The Pasig City Council, led by Vice Mayor Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr., has vowed to pass a local ordinance to strengthen the city’s tuberculosis, or TB, elimination efforts.
The City Council also vowed to fund and allocate the needed resources for the TB program, as well as building a partnership with TB-affected communities, during the “TB sa Pasig: The Community and LGU Commitment on Ending TB in Pasig” forum held over the weekend.
The forum was organized by the Philippine Alliance to Stop TB National Capital Region Coalition spearheaded by Positibong Pasigueño. It provided an avenue for the Pasig City government and community sectors to declare their united commitment to ending TB in the province.
Among the alliance’s calls include strengthening community engagement by empowering and involving the TB community — led organizations in the local TB response. They also called on the local government of Pasig City and Metro Manila to invest in the continuum of TB care in order to close gaps in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
“It’s possible if we work together that we can put an end to the spread of tuberculosis,” Jaworski said.
TB survivors also spoke about their experiences with TB stigma and discrimination and how they coped with strength and resilience.
While TB communities show that they are thankful for being cured of TB, they also recognize the need to address areas for improvement that will be addressed if there is enough local support and funding for TB.