ILOILO – This province has mounted an aggressive campaign against tuberculosis (TB), rolling out free chest X-ray screenings powered by artificial intelligence (AI) in a bid to track down thousands of hidden cases across towns and barangays.
The Iloilo Provincial Health Office (IPHO), in partnership with the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. (PTSI), unveiled the SCREENS to End TB Project with a bold target: provide 12,000 free chest X-rays and confirm at least 360 TB cases.
The program, funded by the Stop TB Partnership, deploys ultra-portable, AI-equipped X-ray machines designed to reach even the remotest communities and islands.
“Bringing TB screening closer to communities is vital for early detection and timely intervention,” the IPHO stressed in a statement. “Our goal is to empower communities with knowledge and resources to prevent tuberculosis.”
Health teams wasted no time bringing the program to the grassroots. On September 11, 180 residents of Barangay Magdungao, Passi City — including senior citizens, persons with disabilities, barangay workers, and tanods — underwent free X-rays.
Just a day earlier, 165 residents were screened in barangays Quinagaringan Pequeño, Gines Viejo, and Malag-it Pequeño, while 97 patients were served in Barangay Jibao-an, Pavia town on September 9.
The service, expected to benefit around 250 people daily, comes at no cost to residents, who can book appointments through their Rural Health Unit TB Program Coordinators via PTSI’s online system.
The urgency of the campaign is underscored by high figures. In 2023, Iloilo province recorded an estimated 13,277 TB cases but only 8,964 were reported.
Similar reporting gaps plagued nearby provinces and cities: Capiz had 4,012 of 5,218 cases logged, Iloilo City 2,946 cases, and Guimaras just 694 out of 1,221.
Preventive treatment coverage remains dismal, with only 124 individuals in Iloilo province, 69 in Capiz, 56 in Iloilo City, and eight in Guimaras receiving Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT).
TB, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases, spreading through the air when patients cough, sneeze, speak, or sing in enclosed, poorly ventilated areas. Health experts urge biennial chest X-rays to catch “silent” infections before they turn contagious./PN