From the Philippine Information Agency (Oct 22, 2020): FEATURE: USAID’s TB Platforms Project: Forging partnership on TB education amid pandemic (By Jimmyley E. Guzman)
File photo courtesy of USAID's TB Platforms
“Tibay ng Dibdib” is a story based on the journey of two young sisters who survived tuberculosis – one of them was afflicted by Drug Resistant TB (DRTB) while the other one battled with Drug Susceptible TB (DSTB).
Conceptualized as a storybook with a coloring book version and written in English and Filipino, these materials were produced by USAID’s TB Platforms as part of its social and behavior change communication strategy to raise public awareness on TB as a killer disease and promote positive health seeking behavior.The roll out of “Tibay ng Dibdib” storybook and coloring book as learning materials for the Health subject in elementary level this school year was made possible through the partnership of the Department of Education National Capital Region (DepEd-NCR), the Department of Health National Tuberculosis Control Program, along with the Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD) and USAID’s TB Platforms Project.
According to USAID TB Platforms, the book which was launched during the National Lung Month Celebration in August has been recently adopted by DepEd-NCR and converted into an online learning material for Grades 3 and 4, with pilot demonstration in Quezon City specifically in Santo Cristo Elementary School.
“We are very fortunate that DepEd-NCR gave us this great opportunity to share the story dubbed as “Tibay ng Dibdib,” said Michelle Lang-Alli, Director, Office of Health, USAID Philippines.
She shared that the inspiring story about two young children who survived TB with the support of the whole community - their immediate family, health facility, local government unit and a patient support group.
“I believe, a story like this that highlights that it takes a whole village to cure a disease is really relevant during these challenging times of COVID-19,” she added.
File photo courtesy of USAID's TB Platforms.
USAID’s TB Platforms collaborates with local government units (LGUs) in NCR and works with the Center for Health Development in providing technical assistance to LGUs and health facilities to ensure continuous provision of TB services amid COVID-19.
The project team led by its Chief of Party Dr. Marianne Calnan and NCR Field Operations Area Manager Hansel Ybañez also expressed their gratitude to DepEd- NCR and Quezon City Government for their commitment to roll out the strengthened TB in children response amid the pandemic. Public elementary schools in NCR will also conduct child-friendly TB screening activities with support from the respective Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and barangay councils to find and treat children afflicted with TB especially during this most challenging time. There will also be TB contact tracing and community screening with support from the city health office.
According to USAID’s TB Platforms, “Tibay ng Dibdib” is now a learning material for public elementary schools in NCR but the project is not only reaching out to the students. Parents and family members will also be engaged in this partnership.
“Tibay ng Dibdib” means “heartstrong” or resilience. The book is a great social and behavior change tool to promote positive health seeking behavior for TB. Previously, TB advocacies and programs implemented target the adults.
“This is the very first time that we are launching a project that directly teaches our children about TB. We will support DepEd and all the schools in this endeavor because this is very relevant. As parents and children work together to adapt to the new normal of online classes, they will also learn together from Tibay ng Dibdib,” added Metro Manila Center for Health Development Regional Director Corazon Flores.
Likewise, Michelle Lang-Alli said that tuberculosis in children and adolescents varies both clinically and epidemiologically, making care and prevention challenging
“In children, tuberculosis is often difficult to diagnose because of non-specific symptoms and limited sensitivity and specificity of laboratory tests for both latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis disease. Children aged younger than 5 years are also more likely to progress to active tuberculosis disease after infection, and have the highest rates of severe, disseminated forms of tuberculosis such as meningitis, compared with older age groups. Adolescents aged 15–17 years are more likely to develop infectious forms of pulmonary tuberculosis than younger children,” added Michelle Lang-Alli.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), available data shows an estimated one million children under the age of 15 become sick with TB each year. Of those, 239,000 — nearly one in four — die. Children with TB rarely die when they receive effective treatment. However, 90 percent of children who die from TB worldwide went untreated.
Ending the child TB epidemic requires local interventions, sensitive to social and cultural context, to reach at-risk children using simple tools for active screening and diagnosis. Even in resource-limited areas, medical professionals can be equipped with the knowledge and tools to diagnose and treat TB in children, with access to care provided at the community level.
Screening households where an adult is diagnosed with TB to see if children have been exposed in the home must become the standard implemented everywhere. In the long run, greater investment in research and development needs to deliver better diagnostics, treatments and an effective vaccine that prevents TB.
The recent partnership of DepEd, DOH and USAID’s TB Platforms will help the students better understand this infectious disease.
According to USAID TB Platforms, Quezon City has the largest population in NCR battling TB even before COVID-19. In partnership with the Quezon City Health Office, USAID’s TB Platforms and DepEd will also engage the public elementary schools in finding and treating children with TB.
As part of the project’s technical assistance to QC LGU, one of its social behavior change and communication strategies will be the engagement of Santo Cristo Elementary School as demonstration site for the adoption of “Tibay ng Dibdib” storybook and coloring book. Grades 3 and 4 students will be provided with a copy of the children’s storybook, along with its coloring book version for their health education under Music, Arts, P.E and Health (MAPEH) class. Within this schoolyear, DepEd hopes to roll out the same approach to all other schools in Quezon City.
Likewise, the adoption of “Tibay ng Dibdib” storybook as a learning material for health education classes in public elementary schools is a milestone for QC City Government as they promote positive health seeking behavior for TB among families using school children as messengers as they share to their parents and guardians that if they have signs and symptoms of TB, they need to seek consultation amid the pandemic.
Capacity building for Parent-Teacher Association members is also part of the partnership with schools. USAID’s TB Platforms committed to mentor officers of PTA (PTA) as advocates for TB education and as the school’s partner for the conduct of the proposed child-friendly TB screening. Barangay leaders and council officers will also support these activities as USAID’s TB Platforms has been working with the barangay health workers and local TB councils as well.
USAID’s TB Platform, implemented by the University Research Co. LLC., (URC) aims to assist the DOH’s National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) to intensify and accelerate efforts toward eliminating TB by 2035.
Using evidence-based, data-driven approaches and technology, USAID’s TB Platforms engages change makers at the individual, community, provincial and regional levels to promote positive health-seeking and TB prevention behaviors. It invigorates service delivery networks of community health workers and diagnostic and treatment facilities in both government and private sectors to sustainably provide quality patient-centered care across the TB care continuum.
The project helps reinforce the capacity of local government units, and leverage their commitment and resources to plan, finance, manage and lead TB control efforts that meet patient needs specifically in Regions 3 and 4-A, NCR and Marawi City as demonstration sites. (PIA-NCR)
USAID’s TB Platforms collaborates with local government units (LGUs) in NCR and works with the Center for Health Development in providing technical assistance to LGUs and health facilities to ensure continuous provision of TB services amid COVID-19.
The project team led by its Chief of Party Dr. Marianne Calnan and NCR Field Operations Area Manager Hansel Ybañez also expressed their gratitude to DepEd- NCR and Quezon City Government for their commitment to roll out the strengthened TB in children response amid the pandemic. Public elementary schools in NCR will also conduct child-friendly TB screening activities with support from the respective Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) and barangay councils to find and treat children afflicted with TB especially during this most challenging time. There will also be TB contact tracing and community screening with support from the city health office.
According to USAID’s TB Platforms, “Tibay ng Dibdib” is now a learning material for public elementary schools in NCR but the project is not only reaching out to the students. Parents and family members will also be engaged in this partnership.
“Tibay ng Dibdib” means “heartstrong” or resilience. The book is a great social and behavior change tool to promote positive health seeking behavior for TB. Previously, TB advocacies and programs implemented target the adults.
“This is the very first time that we are launching a project that directly teaches our children about TB. We will support DepEd and all the schools in this endeavor because this is very relevant. As parents and children work together to adapt to the new normal of online classes, they will also learn together from Tibay ng Dibdib,” added Metro Manila Center for Health Development Regional Director Corazon Flores.
Likewise, Michelle Lang-Alli said that tuberculosis in children and adolescents varies both clinically and epidemiologically, making care and prevention challenging
“In children, tuberculosis is often difficult to diagnose because of non-specific symptoms and limited sensitivity and specificity of laboratory tests for both latent tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis disease. Children aged younger than 5 years are also more likely to progress to active tuberculosis disease after infection, and have the highest rates of severe, disseminated forms of tuberculosis such as meningitis, compared with older age groups. Adolescents aged 15–17 years are more likely to develop infectious forms of pulmonary tuberculosis than younger children,” added Michelle Lang-Alli.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), available data shows an estimated one million children under the age of 15 become sick with TB each year. Of those, 239,000 — nearly one in four — die. Children with TB rarely die when they receive effective treatment. However, 90 percent of children who die from TB worldwide went untreated.
Ending the child TB epidemic requires local interventions, sensitive to social and cultural context, to reach at-risk children using simple tools for active screening and diagnosis. Even in resource-limited areas, medical professionals can be equipped with the knowledge and tools to diagnose and treat TB in children, with access to care provided at the community level.
Screening households where an adult is diagnosed with TB to see if children have been exposed in the home must become the standard implemented everywhere. In the long run, greater investment in research and development needs to deliver better diagnostics, treatments and an effective vaccine that prevents TB.
The recent partnership of DepEd, DOH and USAID’s TB Platforms will help the students better understand this infectious disease.
According to USAID TB Platforms, Quezon City has the largest population in NCR battling TB even before COVID-19. In partnership with the Quezon City Health Office, USAID’s TB Platforms and DepEd will also engage the public elementary schools in finding and treating children with TB.
As part of the project’s technical assistance to QC LGU, one of its social behavior change and communication strategies will be the engagement of Santo Cristo Elementary School as demonstration site for the adoption of “Tibay ng Dibdib” storybook and coloring book. Grades 3 and 4 students will be provided with a copy of the children’s storybook, along with its coloring book version for their health education under Music, Arts, P.E and Health (MAPEH) class. Within this schoolyear, DepEd hopes to roll out the same approach to all other schools in Quezon City.
Likewise, the adoption of “Tibay ng Dibdib” storybook as a learning material for health education classes in public elementary schools is a milestone for QC City Government as they promote positive health seeking behavior for TB among families using school children as messengers as they share to their parents and guardians that if they have signs and symptoms of TB, they need to seek consultation amid the pandemic.
Capacity building for Parent-Teacher Association members is also part of the partnership with schools. USAID’s TB Platforms committed to mentor officers of PTA (PTA) as advocates for TB education and as the school’s partner for the conduct of the proposed child-friendly TB screening. Barangay leaders and council officers will also support these activities as USAID’s TB Platforms has been working with the barangay health workers and local TB councils as well.
USAID’s TB Platform, implemented by the University Research Co. LLC., (URC) aims to assist the DOH’s National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) to intensify and accelerate efforts toward eliminating TB by 2035.
Using evidence-based, data-driven approaches and technology, USAID’s TB Platforms engages change makers at the individual, community, provincial and regional levels to promote positive health-seeking and TB prevention behaviors. It invigorates service delivery networks of community health workers and diagnostic and treatment facilities in both government and private sectors to sustainably provide quality patient-centered care across the TB care continuum.
The project helps reinforce the capacity of local government units, and leverage their commitment and resources to plan, finance, manage and lead TB control efforts that meet patient needs specifically in Regions 3 and 4-A, NCR and Marawi City as demonstration sites. (PIA-NCR)
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1056691
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