Topic: 2024-Tuberculosis
Country: Philippines
Delegate Name: Ella Zhou
Tuberculosis is one of the oldest diseases in the world, yet it still affects society to this day. Although, in the modern age, there are much more effective treatment methods and cures, tuberculosis cases still rise due to the ineffective distribution of resources around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to the rise of tuberculosis cases since treatment coverage in 2020 was only 59%, 13% less than in 2019.
While tuberculosis affects almost all areas of the world, it affects areas in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa the most, which includes the Philippines. Poor ventilation and undernutrition are a few causes that lead to higher vulnerability to tuberculosis, which are apparent in these areas. Along with this, rapid economic growth and climate change also contribute to the spreading of diseases, since these factors are associated with an increase in poorly sanitized and ventilated areas. In the Philippines, many people lack enough knowledge to make informed decisions about their health, which contributes to the high amount of cases in that area, which may be true for other countries as well. Because of this, the Philippines believes that accessible and high-quality healthcare and preventive programs are crucial.
As a result, the Philippines has made much progress to help combat this. In 2019, the Philippine Universal Health Care Law was signed, allowing all Filipinos access to free healthcare services to an extent. The Philippines also has the National Tuberculosis Control Program that hopes to reduce the catastrophic costs of tuberculosis-affected households, improve the quality of tuberculosis treatment, and expand preventive facilities. The Philippines has also established national health data standards and suggested plans for future implementation of health IT or telemedicine. These programs and resources may also help tuberculosis-affected households reduce financial burden in the long run since prevention and early treatment of tuberculosis will help it get treated quicker and more efficiently.
The Philippines believes that the rise in tuberculosis cases is a tricky issue to solve, since many areas in the world may not ever have enough resources to effectively decrease a majority of tuberculosis cases. Despite this, the Philippines suggests stricter guidelines and standards for health data and hospitals, easier access to healthcare, and better tools and equipment for curing and prevention of tuberculosis to maximize the effectiveness of healthcare systems and facilities. The Philippines also suggests that more financially well-off countries step up and create organizations to help smaller and less-developed countries upgrade their hospital infrastructure.
