USAID, NYC target youth with anti-TB awareness drive amid pandemic

National Youth Commission (NYC)  Chairperson Ryan Enriquez during the USAID-NYC Webinar on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for TB and COVID-19 encourages the youth to use their social media platforms in promoting public health information and encouragehealth seeking behavior amid the pandemic. (Courtesy of USAID)

PASIG CITY, Aug. 14 (PIA) -- International development agency USAID, through its TB Platforms for Sustainable Detection, Care and Treatment Project, today collaborated with the National Youth Commission (NYC) in reaching out to the Filipino youth as the project rolls out its public awareness campaign for tuberculosis (TB) education amid the  COVID-19 pandemic.

For this year’s International Youth Day Celebration, NYC Chairperson and CEO Ryan Enriquez commits to support COVID-19 and TB education campaign as the commission engages youth-led organizations to take an active role in the dissemination of public health information  using various social media platforms.

The USAID told the PIA-NCR that Enriquez, during the webinar, committed the engagement of Sangguniang Kabataan leaders as support for the development agency’s TB Platforms TB education campaign.

Enriquez also engaged attendees in maximizing their organization's social media platforms to promote health seeking behavior for both TB and COVID-19.  Dr. Galban also graced several radio programs to discuss partnerships with NYC and USAID’s TB Platforms.

USAID’s #EndTB Ambassador Miss Earth 2019 Janelle Lazo Tee joins USAID’s TB Platforms and NYC’s call for youth involvement  in promoting public health information and encouraging health seeking behavior. In her Facebook and other social media accounts, she shares information about tuberculosis and encourages local government units to strengthen its TB response not only for continuous provision of TB services in communities but also for support for the TB healthcare workers in line with infection prevention and control. Her QuaranTEAM project continues to raise funds for personal protective equipments (PPEs) which she donates to doctors and nurses in the National Capital Region. (Courtesy of USAID)

On the other hand, also expressing support is the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines group led by Dr. Dexter Galban, who is concurrent National Director for Global Initiatives and  Commissioner for the Population Commission (POPCOM) under the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

“The 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting all its campaigns, projects and events online. This led to our partnership with USAID’s TB Platforms in promoting TB education amid the pandemic. While the advocacy sphere has been challenged by the limitations regarding in-person events and community-based activities, more so the youth, the organization continues to develop innovative ways to empower young leaders and inspire change for a healthier nation” Galban said.

“The Filipino youth have the passion, skills and grit to create new impactful ways of disseminating critical health information  about TB and COVID-19. The best defense against the spread of both diseases is an even faster spread of proper information on how Filipinos can beat these killer diseases. We will continue to influence our peers to join this crusade using our social media platforms,” he added.

For her part, #EndTB Ambassador and Miss Earth 2019 Janelle Lazo Tee also joined this year’s International Youth Day celebration and expressed her continuing support for USAID’s TB Platforms in its social and behavior change communication campaigns.

“I have been using my Facebook and Twitter accounts in sharing information about TB and COVID-19. I have been sharing information about TB and COVID-19 symptoms, corresponding infection prevention and control which I learned from USAID as well as some important hotline numbers and social media accounts where the public can access the latest information to stay safe during this pandemic,” Tee said.

“To all the youth out there, let us be reminded that we play a major role in this pandemic, let us continue to be the voice of  hope and not despair. Let us empower ourselves and be responsible as we continue to embrace the challenges of COVID-19,” she urged.

Earlier, NYC representatives, who attended the first IPC Webinar for TB and COVID-19, echoed the learnings during their Youth Federation Councils Meeting last May and June.

Since April this year, USAID’s TB Platforms has been collaborating with NYC, along with the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines, a community of youth advocating for the achievement of the Sustainable Development  Goals (SDGs)  in the conduct of a webinar series on infection prevention and control (IPC) for TB and COVID-19.

The public awareness campaign will focus much-needed attention on TB, a contagious disease spread from person to person through the air. The goal is to help young people understand the early symptoms of TB and the importance of seeking medical care early.

TB is a preventable and treatable disease, yet there are new cases of active TB in the Philippines every year. Growing resistance to the most commonly-used TB medicines has made addressing TB even more challenging and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) is now the leading cause of deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally.

Moving forward, USAID’s TB Platforms, NYC, 2030 Youthforce and Miss Earth Foundation will continue to work together to raise public awareness about tuberculosis and encourage health seeking behavior using multimedia platforms.

Through the Philippine Information Agency and Radyo Pilipinas, these organizations will continue to reach out to the Filipino youth and engage youth-led organizations for collective TB-COVID19 response. (PIA NCR)

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)