(PHOTO: PIXABAY)

A public health coalition has urged newly elected lawmakers to prioritize the country’s growing non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis, warning that these illnesses pose a worsening public health threat to Filipinos.

In a statement on Friday, May 30, the Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA) called on the incoming batch of lawmakers to implement stronger, evidence-based policies to prevent NCDs, which remain the country’s leading cause of death.

Former Department of Health (DOH) secretary Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, the convenor of HPA, said newly elected leaders need to confront the reality that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in the Philippines and continue to place a heavy burden on Filipino families.

“We urge them to take decisive action and implement evidence-based solutions to prevent NCDs and save thousands of Filipino lives,” he said.

The call was made shortly after the group’s participation in the United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Hearing held earlier this month in preparation for the upcoming Fourth UN High-Level Meeting (HLM4) on NCDs and mental health, scheduled in September. It also comes ahead of World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on May 31.

Galvez Tan underscored the need for concrete policy steps, including nutrition labeling and stricter regulations on tobacco and vape products.

“We have to address diet-related NCDs with policies like front-of-pack food warning labels on packaged products to reduce consumption of sugar, sodium, and fats,” he said.

The former DOH chief said the Philippines needs more stringent policies to mitigate tobacco and vape use, especially among the youth it exposes them to higher risks of lung injury, cancer, and heart disease.”

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As such, HPA highlighted the deep inequities in health access, noting that non-communicable diseases disproportionately impact poor, vulnerable, and marginalized communities.

The group noted that social, economic, and environmental conditions still determine who falls ill, and who has the means to seek treatment.

The alliance identified five key areas for legislative and policy action: strengthening nutrition standards, expanding safety nets for individuals with NCDs, investing in healthier environments and cleaner air, integrating NCD control into the Universal Health Care law, and improving access to primary healthcare for early intervention.

During the UN hearing, delegates and civil society groups urged governments to put prevention, early detection, and long-term care for NCDs and mental health at the core of national development planning.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Filipinos face a 24.5 percent chance of dying from an NCD between the ages of 30 and 70, a much higher rate than the Asia-Pacific average of 15.6 percent.

Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory illnesses make up the bulk of these conditions, it noted.

The HPA stressed that addressing this crisis requires a “comprehensive, multisectoral approach” that brings together both government and community-level engagement.

Advocates also urged leaders to align their health policies with global best practices and the Sustainable Development Goals.