De La Salle Health Sciences Institute’s Angelo King Medical Research Center has once again been tapped by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) to undertake an important study in the continuing fight against drug-resistant Tuberculosis.
The study, officially titled the Community Approach to Control and Halt Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (COACH –DRTB), will aid the country’s National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) in formulating the policies and guidelines in investigating the household contacts of active TB cases and in enhancing the support of local partners in managing TB in the community.
The study will also assess the effectiveness of the community approach in detecting and treating drug-resistant TB cases. Another goal of the study is to create a “Biobank” where a collection of body samples and specimens from TB patients will be stored in a laboratory so that future researchers can use the specimens to study TB or other diseases that can affect TB in the future.
DLSHSI’s Vice Chancellor for Research and noted TB expert Dr. Charles Y. Yu will be the principal investigator of the study. He will be aided by sub-investigators Dr. Victoria Dalay, Dr. Melchor Frias, Dr. JoviliaAbong and Ms. Naida Marcelo, all from DLSHSI’s Angelo King Medical Research Center.
The project will run for five years and has an approved budget of Php123 Million. COACH –DRTB is one of the biggest funded projects of PCHRD.
PCHRD’s Department of Science and Technology Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya shared they are truly blessed to be working with Dr. Yu’s team and they fully trust the leadership of Dr. Yu who is also known for his passionate advocacies in TB control not only in the Philippines but all over the world.
Dr. Montoya hopes that through this project they can significantly contribute to controlling tuberculosis in the Philippines.
DLSHSI President Br. Gus Boquer and Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Charles Yu MSc, FPCP, FPCCP; and PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya and Division Chief Merle Opeña were present during the MOA signing.
