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Programs

Research Programme

Research on infections of public health importance is one of the programs of the Tropical Disease Foundation. The current research focus of the TDF has been on Tuberculosis which started with the 1997 Nationwide Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey, measuring the TB burden of disease in the Philippines and health seeking behavior of the patients in with TB symptoms.

The present projects include:

  • Operational researches on the efficiency and effectiveness of the programmatic MDR-TB Management (PMTM)
  • Preserving the Effectiveness of tuberculosis Treatment with Second-line Drugs (PETTS)
  • Prospective Study of Shortening the Duration of Standard Short Course Chemotherapy from 6 Months to 4 Months in HIV-non-infrected Patients with Fully Drug Susceptible, Non-cavitary Pulmonary Tuberculosis with Negative Sputum Cultures after 2 months of anti-TB treatment. (DMID Protocol Number 01-009) in collaboration with the TB Research Unit, Case Western Reserve University, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
  • Demonstration Project on Effectiveness of Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) for Detection of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST) in High PDR/MDR TB Burden Countries in collaboration with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnositcs (FIND)

Training Programme

By the nature of its mission and vision, the Tropical Disease Foundation provides for the opportunity to enhance human resource capability through training in various aspects of research and service in the control of infections diseases. There are two programs which it undertakes, the intramural program which enhances the capacity of its own human resources in its staff and members of the organization and through extramural programs that it provides for health personnel outside the organization.

The extramural training program includes the infectious disease clinical fellowship training in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Section, Department of Medicine, Makati Medical Center. Thirteen specialists in Infectious Diseases have graduated since 1987 and have become leaders in Infectious Diseases in their own right, practicing in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Iloilo, Lipa City, and Dumaguete City.

The training programme for health workers in the implementation of the Programmatic Management of MDR-TB (PMMT) has provided didactic courses with internship in the PMMT Clinical facilities in the DOTS Center at the Makati Medical Center and its satellite facilities in the Bahay sa Kabalikat sa Kalusugan in Quezon Institute, and in the Lung Center of the Philippines DOTS Center for doctors, nurses, midwives, community treatment partners of TB patients.

Service Programme

The TDF is a pioneer in the Private Public Mix DOTS, establishing a DOTS clinic at the Makati Medical Center, in collaboration with the Department of Health, Makati Medical Center, and the Barangay San Lorenzo. This became the first pilot project on the programmatic MDR-TB Management (previously called DOTS-Plus) approved by the Green Light Committee working within the STOP TB Partnership and the World Health Organization. The PMMT has pioneered in the management of MDR-TB patients with second line drugs and has demonstrated that it is a highly cost-effective program with significant public health impact.

Since July 2003, the TDF was elected by the Country Coordinating Mechanism in the Philippines to be the Principal Recipient (PR) of the Global Fund Projects in the Philippines, being one of the first private sector PR. As PR, it is responsible for the financial and programme management of two Tuberculosis Projects approved in Rounds 2 and 5, two HIV/AIDS projects approved in Round 3 and 5, and two Malaria projects approved in Round 2 and 6.