Tubod, Lanao del Norte - More than 300 people attended the World TB Day celebration on March 24, 2011 at the People’s Plaza in the capital town of Tubod, this province. Most of the participants came from the health sector which includes barangay health workers, municipal and provincial health personnel and NGOs.

The activity was spearheaded the Provincial Government through its Health Office headed by Dr. Melania Untao. Also supporting the anti-TB event are groups like Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PHILCAT) and Holistic Community and Development Incorporated (HCDI).

As a way of showing its appreciation and rewarding the more than 100 health workers from the different barangays of Tubod, HCDI gave 10 kilos of rice and several grocery items to all health workers present.

The barangay health worker with the most number of TB patients under her care received an additional of 50 kilos of rice. Harriett Satina from Brgy. Pualas, Tubod received two sacks of rice from HCDI President Dr. Leonard Tago for providing health services to her six TB patients.

“I am very thankful to HCDI for these gifts. This will help feed my family for a very long time”, Satina expressed.
The theme of World TB Day 2011 — "On the move against TB: Transforming the fight towards elimination"— reflects renewed momentum to approach the global problem of tuberculosis with greater intensity and seriousness of purpose.

Today, about one-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes TB.

Although TB control programs have led to a decline in cases worldwide, the emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains of Mtb challenge the way TB diagnosis and treatment are approached.

World TB Day is March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery ofMycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB).

World TB Day provides an opportunity to communicate TB-related problems and solutions and to support worldwide TB-control efforts.  LAR/VNL/PIO-LDN