REPUBLIC ACT No. 10767
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE PHILIPPINE PLAN OF
ACTION TO ELIMINATE TUBERCULOSIS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND APPROPRIATING
FUND THEREFOR
Title
This Act shall be known as
the “Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Plan Act”.
Section
2
Declaration
of Policy
The State is mandated to
adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development. Towards
this end, the State shall support and expand efforts to eliminate tuberculosis
as a public health problem by increasing investments for its prevention,
treatment and control, and adopting a multisectoral approach in responding to
the disease.
Section
3
Definition
of Terms
As used in this Act
(a)
Comprehensive
Philippine Plan of Action to Eliminate Tuberculosis refers to the program of
the national government for the elimination of tuberculosis in the country; and
(b)
Tuberculosis or
TB refers to an infectious but curable disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium
tuberculosis. It is transmitted from a TB patient to another through
coughing, sneezing and spitting and while the bacterium usually affects the
lungs, it may also affect the bone and other organs like the kidney and the
liver.
Section
4
Comprehensive
Philippine Plan of Action to Eliminate Tuberculosis
The Secretary of the
Department of Health (DOH) shall establish a Comprehensive Philippine Plan of
Action to Eliminate Tuberculosis in consultation with appropriate public and
private entities. The Philippine Plan of Action shall consist of the following:
(a) The country’s targets and strategies in addressing the
disease;
(b) The prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and
support, and other components of the country’s response;
(c) The development and application of appropriate
technologies to diagnose and treat the disease;
(d) The strengthening of linkages with local and
international organizations for possible partnership in education, advocacy,
research and funding assistance;
(e) The establishment of a review and monitoring system to
gather data and monitor the progress made in the elimination of tuberculosis;
and
(f) The immediate mobilization of anti-TB services during
and after natural and man-made disasters through collaborative efforts of
national and local governments and other entities.
Section
5
Strengthening
of the National and Regional Coordinating Committees
The National Coordinating
Committee (NCC) and the Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) of the DOH shall
serve as the National TB Control Program’s (NTP’s) arm in strengthening and
supporting nationwide capacity for program operations and bridging
collaborative efforts between the public and private sector.
The Secretary of Health
shall continue to improve the capability of the existing NCC and RCC in
ensuring efficiency in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the
Philippine Plan of Action and in the coordination of efforts of various
sectors.
Section
6
Research,
Demonstration Projects, Education and Training
The Secretary of Health
shall, directly or through grants to public or nonprofit private entities,
perform the following activities:
(a)
Conduct basic and
clinical research based on the health agenda to be developed by partners in the
academe, health professional groups and other local health partners with
possible support from foreign organizations;
(b)
Develop demonstration projects to generate
evidence for responsive policies and to develop regional capabilities for the
prevention, detection, control, and elimination of tuberculosis;
(c)
Conduct nationwide
public information campaign and education programs;
(d)
Undertake
education, training and clinical skills improvement activities for health care
providers;
(e)
Provide support
for model centers to sustain their initiatives under subparagraphs (b), (c) and
(d); and
(f)
Collaborate with
local and foreign organizations for partnership in various activities and in
providing technical and funding support.
Section
7
Strengthening
of the Regional Centers for Health Development in the Provision of Health
Services to Eliminate TB
The Secretary of Health
shall strengthen the Regional Centers for Health Development in the provision
of health services to eliminate TB by undertaking the following activities:
(a)
Provide free
laboratory services through the DOH retained hospitals;
(b)
Provide reliable
supply of drugs to patients for free by ensuring that local health centers,
through coordination with local government units (LGUs) concerned, have
sufficient supply of medicines for the communities they serve;
(c)
Undertake public
information and education programs to train the public on basic ways and means
to prevent the spread of tuberculosis;
(d)
Train and enhance
the capability of health providers in both public and private hospitals;
(e)
Ensure the proper
monitoring of tuberculosis cases in the country; and
(f)
Ensure that
monitoring services are extended as far as practicable, at the lowest local
level health unit.
Section
8
Education
Programs
The Secretary of Health,
in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), shall encourage
the faculty of schools of medicine, nursing or medical technology and allied
health institutions, to intensify information and education programs, including
the development of curricula, to significantly increase the opportunities for students
and for practicing providers to learn the principles and practices of
preventing, detecting, managing, and controlling tuberculosis.
Section
9
Inclusion
in Basic Education
The Secretary of Health,
in coordination with the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepED),
shall work for the inclusion of modules on the principles and practices of
preventing, detecting, managing and controlling tuberculosis in the health
curriculum of every public and private elementary and high school.
Section
10
Media
Campaign
The Secretary of Health,
in coordination with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), shall encourage
local media outlets to launch a media campaign on tuberculosis control,
treatment and management, using all forms of multimedia and other electronic
means of communication.
The media campaign shall
include materials that would discourage the general public from spitting in
public places and exhibiting unhygienic behavior that tend to undermine the
overall effort of preventing the spread of the disease.
Section
11
Regulation
on Sale and Use of TB Drugs
The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) shall strengthen its implementation of the “No
prescription, No anti-TB drugs” to regulate the sale and use of anti-TB drugs
in the market. It shall also ensure the quality of TB drugs distributed in the
market.
Section
12
Notification
on TB Cases
All public and private
health centers, hospitals and facilities shall observe the national protocol on
TB management arid shall notify the DOH of all TB cases as prescribed under the
Manual of Procedures of the National TB Program and the Philippine Plan of
Action on Tuberculosis Control.
Section
13
PhilHealth
TB Package
The Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation, otherwise known as the PhilHealth, shall, as far as
practicable, expand its benefit package for TB patients to include new, relapse
and return-after-default cases, and extension of treatment.
The PhilHealth shall
enhance its present outpatient Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS)
package to make it more responsive to patients’ needs. It shall likewise
increase the number of accredited DOTS facilities to widen target beneficiaries
who may avail of reimbursements.
Section
14
Report
The Secretary of Health
shall submit an annual report to the Committees on Health of the Senate and the
House of Representatives on the activities carried out to comply with the
provisions of this Act.
Section
15
Appropriations
The amount necessary to
implement the provisions of this Act shall be charged against the
appropriations of the DOH, the DepED, the CHED and the PIA under the General
Appropriations Act.
Section
16
Implementing
Rules and Regulations
The DOH, in consultation
with the DepED, the CHED, the PIA, the LGUs, nongovernment organizations and
other concerned entities, shall issue the rules and regulations implementing
the provisions of this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity.
Section
17
Separability
Clause
If any provision or part
hereof is held invalid or declared unconstitutional, the other provisions which
are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.
Section
18
Repealing
Clause
Any law, presidential
decree or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative
order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.
Section
19
Effectivity
This Act shall take effect
fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a
newspaper of general circulation.
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