YEAR-END REPORT: DOH in 2019 A year of public health challenges
Published Dec 29, 2019 12:00 am
By Analou De Vera
The Department of Health (DOH) faced a year "full of public health challenges" as it faced different disease outbreaks--starting from measles to dengue and the return of polio after 19 years.
(Photo by Jansen Romero/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“2019 is a year full of challenges because we had the measles outbreak in February, the polio outbreak, the massive epidemic of dengue,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“While we have measles, we have dengue, we have polio ---in between we have cases of meningococcemia diphtheria…. So our 2019 was really full of public health challenges,” he added.
In February, the DOH declared a measles outbreak in some parts of the country. It was first declared in the National Capital Region and was expanded in Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas.
The DOH, meanwhile, declared in July a "National Dengue Alert" due to the rapidly increasing number of dengue cases observed in several regions. And on August 6, it eventually declared a "National Dengue Epidemic."
Based on its recent surveillance report, the DOH already recorded 414,532 dengue cases nationwide from January 1 to November 30. The figure is 86 percent higher as compared to the 222,849 cases recorded during the same period last year.
On September 19, the health department confirmed the re-emergence of polio disease, nearly two decades after the country was declared polio-free.
The DOH has so far recorded eight confirmed polio cases in the country. The first confirmed case of polio after 19 years-- involved a three-year-old girl from Lanao Del Sur.
It was followed by a five-year-old boy from Laguna, a four-year-old girl from Maguindanao, a three-year-old girl from Sultan Kudarat, a two-year-old girl from Maguindanao, a one-year-old boy from Cotabato, a four-year-old girl from North Cotabato, and a nine-year-old girl from Basilan.
To combat the spread of polio, the health department conducted Synchronized Polio Vaccination drives in Metro Manila and parts of Mindanao.
Despite the challenges, Duque believed that the public health workers and "everyone who has something to contribute, really came and rose to the challenge."
"This is what I can say-- I salute our very good, very hardworking, dedicated civil servants--public health workers who have really taken on the job quite effectively," he said.
The health chief said that the "most important lesson" to be learned from these experiences was that immunization should always be prioritized at all times.
"There are about 12 vaccine-preventable diseases and if we are able to prevent and protect our children from developing these vaccine-preventable diseases ---it would really mean so much in terms of avoiding/ escalating costs," he said.
"Whereas... that is why the old adage that prevention is always better," he added.
‘Landmark legislations’
The Universal Health Care (UHC) bill was signed into law by President Duterte last February. Under the UHC law or the Republic Act 11223, all Filipinos will be "automatic members of PhilHealth as direct or indirect contributors and shall be eligible to 'No Balance Billing' once admitted to basic or ward accommodations in hospitals."
The UHC will be implemented next year in 33 pilot areas. "This is universal in scope but progressive in approach. So, there will be a progressive roll-out," said Duque in October.
Other health measures that were signed this year include the National Integrated Cancer Act, the HIV/AIDS Policy Act, Malasakit Center Act, as well as the 'Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay' Act, among others.
"We have landmark pieces of legislation...If you come to think of it, all other laws that I have enumerated are really building blocks of the UHC law," said Duque.
"So we just have to make sure that there will be enough funding and that we need to create as much value as we can for every peso that we receive through our budgets... so we will make the most out of it," he added.
The DOH, meanwhile, said that it had already submitted to the Office of the President (OP) its draft Executive Order (EO) that contains a list of at least 120 medicines, which are being eyed for price control.
Duque recently expressed hopes that the draft EO will immediately be approved by President Duterte. "Well, hopefully as soon as possible but of course we have to respect their process," he then said.
2020: A busy year
Duque said that their "plates" will be full for next year.
"Our plate has never been empty it's always been full...We will continue to be very busy. DOH is one of the busiest social service agencies in the government," he said.
"We will be able to do what is necessary to realize the goals and objectives of the Universal Health Care Law...We hope that we continue to win over the trust and confidence of our people," he added.
(Photo by Jansen Romero/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“2019 is a year full of challenges because we had the measles outbreak in February, the polio outbreak, the massive epidemic of dengue,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“While we have measles, we have dengue, we have polio ---in between we have cases of meningococcemia diphtheria…. So our 2019 was really full of public health challenges,” he added.
In February, the DOH declared a measles outbreak in some parts of the country. It was first declared in the National Capital Region and was expanded in Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas.
The DOH, meanwhile, declared in July a "National Dengue Alert" due to the rapidly increasing number of dengue cases observed in several regions. And on August 6, it eventually declared a "National Dengue Epidemic."
Based on its recent surveillance report, the DOH already recorded 414,532 dengue cases nationwide from January 1 to November 30. The figure is 86 percent higher as compared to the 222,849 cases recorded during the same period last year.
On September 19, the health department confirmed the re-emergence of polio disease, nearly two decades after the country was declared polio-free.
The DOH has so far recorded eight confirmed polio cases in the country. The first confirmed case of polio after 19 years-- involved a three-year-old girl from Lanao Del Sur.
It was followed by a five-year-old boy from Laguna, a four-year-old girl from Maguindanao, a three-year-old girl from Sultan Kudarat, a two-year-old girl from Maguindanao, a one-year-old boy from Cotabato, a four-year-old girl from North Cotabato, and a nine-year-old girl from Basilan.
To combat the spread of polio, the health department conducted Synchronized Polio Vaccination drives in Metro Manila and parts of Mindanao.
Despite the challenges, Duque believed that the public health workers and "everyone who has something to contribute, really came and rose to the challenge."
"This is what I can say-- I salute our very good, very hardworking, dedicated civil servants--public health workers who have really taken on the job quite effectively," he said.
The health chief said that the "most important lesson" to be learned from these experiences was that immunization should always be prioritized at all times.
"There are about 12 vaccine-preventable diseases and if we are able to prevent and protect our children from developing these vaccine-preventable diseases ---it would really mean so much in terms of avoiding/ escalating costs," he said.
"Whereas... that is why the old adage that prevention is always better," he added.
‘Landmark legislations’
The Universal Health Care (UHC) bill was signed into law by President Duterte last February. Under the UHC law or the Republic Act 11223, all Filipinos will be "automatic members of PhilHealth as direct or indirect contributors and shall be eligible to 'No Balance Billing' once admitted to basic or ward accommodations in hospitals."
The UHC will be implemented next year in 33 pilot areas. "This is universal in scope but progressive in approach. So, there will be a progressive roll-out," said Duque in October.
Other health measures that were signed this year include the National Integrated Cancer Act, the HIV/AIDS Policy Act, Malasakit Center Act, as well as the 'Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay' Act, among others.
"We have landmark pieces of legislation...If you come to think of it, all other laws that I have enumerated are really building blocks of the UHC law," said Duque.
"So we just have to make sure that there will be enough funding and that we need to create as much value as we can for every peso that we receive through our budgets... so we will make the most out of it," he added.
The DOH, meanwhile, said that it had already submitted to the Office of the President (OP) its draft Executive Order (EO) that contains a list of at least 120 medicines, which are being eyed for price control.
Duque recently expressed hopes that the draft EO will immediately be approved by President Duterte. "Well, hopefully as soon as possible but of course we have to respect their process," he then said.
2020: A busy year
Duque said that their "plates" will be full for next year.
"Our plate has never been empty it's always been full...We will continue to be very busy. DOH is one of the busiest social service agencies in the government," he said.
"We will be able to do what is necessary to realize the goals and objectives of the Universal Health Care Law...We hope that we continue to win over the trust and confidence of our people," he added.