The Philippines has the highest tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in Asia, at 554 cases for every 100,000 Filipinos. The highest prevalence is found in Metro Manila, which is why, in 2021, MSF started a TB project, specifically in the urban slum communities of Tondo.

In previous years, MSF had worked in the area, and so was familiar with the particular health challenges of Tondo: a very densely populated area with an economically disadvantaged population, served by only a few health centres with limited staff. Tondo also had very low numbers of TB case detention, and the community had limited access to diagnostics. And since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic also meant limited community outreach as well as the reallocation of health centre staff to quarantine facilities and vaccination.

In 2021, MSF began coordinating with the City of Manila Health Department. Active case finding activities started in 2022. In addition to active case finding and TB preventive treatment (TPT), MSF also developed materials for patient education and counselling.