For people with tuberculosis, receiving a diagnosis is only the beginning. The next challenge is staying on treatment, which can become difficult when patients encounter treatment problems, side effects or shortages of medicines.
READ: Untreated lungs: Patients, public pay the price for gaps in TB drug shortage
Louie Zepeda-Teng, president of TB People Philippines, knows that struggle firsthand.
She recalled experiencing symptoms in 2007, including significant weight loss and fever. But because she did not have a cough, she said she did not initially think she had tuberculosis.
“Nakaranas na ako noong 2007 ng mga sintomas, which is sobrang weight loss, tapos lagnat na hindi naman ganon kataas and wala naman akong ubo. So, hindi mo siya maiisip na tuberculosis siya eh,” Zepeda-Teng said.
By the time Zepeda-Teng was diagnosed, her TB had already become multidrug-resistant.
Her initial six-month treatment failed. She said an error in her initial treatment eventually led to the loss of her eyesight.
“Yung 6 na buwan na hindi gumana, nagkamali ng gamutan sa umpisa kaya nabulag ako,” Zepeda-Teng said.
Her experience also points to the importance of making sure patients understand what they are taking and what to expect from treatment.
Physician and researcher Emmanuel Gutierrez of the TB HIV Innovations and Clinical Research Foundation Corp. said patients should understand the purpose and duration of their treatment, as well as the side effects they may experience.
“Kailangan maintindihan ng mga pasyente para saan yung gamutan, gano katagal yung gamutan, ano mga side effects na puwede nating i-expect kung sila ay magsisimula ng gamutan,” he said.
But even patients who are prepared to continue their treatment can face problems accessing their medicines.
In Tondo, Manila, Romeo Christopher Valenzuela, head of Barangay 12, Zone 2, TB committee, said some patients return to health centers during their treatment only to learn that their medicines are unavailable.
“Pagdating sa center, halimbawa, second month na nung gamutan, nakakalungkot lang, bakit biglang sasabihin ng center, wala pang supply,” he said.
For patients who cannot afford to purchase the medicines themselves, Valenzuela said some may have to pay for them out of their own pockets.
“So, yung pobreng pasyente, ang gagawin na lang niya, na siyempre gusto niyang mabuhay, bibili na lang sa sarili niyang bulsa nung gamot na kailangan niya,” he added.
Nurse Florita Danida explained that a drug stock-out happens when medicines are unavailable at health facilities.
“Ang drug stock-out po, ito po yung sitwasyon kung saan walang available o walang gamot na makuha sa ating mga health facilities,” she said.
For Danida, ensuring that patients continue taking their medicines is also important.
“Napakahalaga na mag-stick or panindigan ng isang pasyente ang pag-inom niya ng gamot sa TB.”
Zepeda-Teng said support from others matters, particularly when patients struggle to continue.
“Tingnan niyo ang nangyayari kapag wala tayong pakialam sa isa’t isa. ‘Di ba yung mga kasama natin nawawala, humihinto, hindi natin alam namatay ba ‘to or talaga lang napagod ng uminom ng gamot?” she asked.
Effect to family members across generations
Gutierrez also described TB as an illness that can affect members of the same family across generations.
“Ang kwento ng tuberkulosis ay kwento ng Pilipino. Kapag nagka-TB si lolo, nagkasakit, minsan nag-delay ng gamutan. Nag-gamot, gumaling. Susunod, magkaka-TB yung anak. Susunod, yung mga apo,” he said.
Because of this, Gutierrez said treating the individual patient is not enough.
“Mahalaga na hindi lang magamot yung isang pasyente na may TB, kundi kailangan din nabigyan ng gamot yung mga apo. Para matigil na yung storya ng TB ng pamilyang Pilipino.”
For Zepeda-Teng, her experience has also led her to call for greater attention to the responsibilities of officials and the consequences of waiting until TB affects someone close to them.
“Yung opisyales mo dapat mong katukin. Dapat ano sa labas. Ipakita nila na ito yung responsibility mo sa amin, gawin mo bago ikaw ang magkaroon din ng TB,” Zepeda-Teng said.
And she has one final warning for those who may still see TB as someone else’s problem.
“Alam mo, hintayin na lang ating kapamilya niyo mahal niyo sa buhay magka-TB, bago tayo mamulat dito,” she added.
—With Martin Ramos, Rosette Adel
—
This report was made in partnership with Probe Productions and Tsek.PH, the first fact-checking and anti-disinformation network in the Philippines.
