MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday asked tuberculosis patients to get their month-long supply of free medicine from health centers amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and lockdowns in other areas.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, in a statement, said the DOH has already issued a memorandum instructing health workers to allow TB patients who are enrolled in the government program to take home their free one-month supply of anti-TB medication.

There are about 330,000 Filipinos enrolled for TB treatment, which lasts for six to nine months, as of 2019, according to the DOH. About 37,500 patients started treatment in 2020.

“Those with TB are at higher risk of getting COVID-19. We are rolling out measures for their uninterrupted regimen,” Duque said.

The DOH said that old age, malnutrition, heavy smoking, weak immune system, HIV, diabetes and renal disease increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 and TB.

Duque said the country should “not lose sight of other infectious and pandemic diseases, especially TB” now that the world is trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

He said those who have respiratory symptoms but test negative for COVID-19 should be considered presumptive for TB. The DOH also said that preventive measures against TB are the same for COVID-19 - hand hygiene, cough etiquette and infection control at home and in the workplace.

Instead of reporting to health workers daily, TB patients enrolled in the government program will have family members “support the patient in taking his or her medicines,” Duque said.

March 24 is World TB Day. The DOH and its partner organizations including the World Health Organizations have launched a campaign that aims to reduce TB deaths by 15 percent from an estimated 26,000 in 2018 to just 22,000 in 2023.