In a bid to have a wider reach of the city’s tuberculosis (TB) prevention program, the Davao City Health Office (CHO) is conducting active case finding (ACF) activities or TB screening in Indigenous People (IP) communities.
Dr. Nikita Marie Jamiana, CHO’s TB Program Focal Person, said in an interview with the Madayaw Program over city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio, that this initiative intends to ensure that Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) receive health programs from the city, create awareness on disease prevention and mitigation, as well as to break stigma in the community.
She also clarified that conducting ACF in IP communities does not necessarily mean a spike in the number of TB cases in IP communities. Rather, this is part of the city’s thrust towards a TB-free Davao City.
ACF is one of the initiatives under the city’s tuberculosis (TB) program that seeks to identify persons with TB who are yet to visit health facilities for diagnosis. This involves screening and clinical evaluation of high-risk individuals like those exposed to TB patients and people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
In October 2024, the CHO conducted several orientations in the communities involving barangay officials to equip them with the right information on TB to help correct myths about the disease and become extensions during the active case finding.
Jamiana, during the ISpeak Media Forum on Thursday, said the CHO plans to visit 57 barangays with IP communities including barangays in GIDAs in the city.
She said that they plan to do this activity throughout the year.
For the month of June, the CHO’s team started to conduct ACF in Barangay Sto. Niño, Tugbok District on June 2, and will be in Barangay Sibulan, Toril on June 9.
On June 10, ACF will be conducted in Barangay Atan-Awe, and in Barangay Mabuhay, Paquibato District on June 11.
From June 16–20, teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) will be joining the CHO in conducting ACF in Barangay Wangan (June 16), Barangay Lumiad (June 17), Barangay Dalag (June 18), Barangay Ilang (June 19), and Barangay Suawan (June 20).
The CHO’s team will also conduct ACF in Barangay Gatungan, Bunawan District on June 21, in Barangay Datu Salumay, Marilog District on June 23, and in Barangay Salaysay on June 27.
The services offered during ACF include testing or screening through chest x-ray and sputum test for TB, IGRA for latent TB, slit-skin smear for leprosy, blood pressure-taking for hypertension, fasting and random blood sugar for diabetes, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV.
There will also be free medical and dental consultations as well as prenatal and postnatal consultations during the activity.
Children, adolescents, and pregnant women may also avail of the CHO’s immunization program during the activity.
Counselling on family planning, HIV and STIs, nutrition, and TB will also be provided during the ACF as well as deworming and Vitamin A supplementation.
These services are offered for free to Dabawenyos.
Dabawenyos may also avail of these free services at the CHO and in the district health offices. CIO