Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2013-88648
State of Childrens Health in the Philippines
Of these past few years that I have listened and watch to SONA, I
rarely hear healthcare in general during speeches, nor it received any
standing ovation as opposed to topics such as corruption. Or even if I hear
that there is some progress to our healthcare system, it cannot deny the fact
that it is still lacking in many aspects.
One of the pressing issues of our healthcare system is its ability to
address child health problems. Though there is progress, still its movement is
slow. The increment of movement for 5 years is slow, thinking that we are
just few months away from reaching the end of the millennium development
goals.
Even the media has not really highlighted healthcare in general, unless
it is an outbreak or an emerging or re-emerging disease. We live in a country
where issues about celebrities are put into more highlight (even the
headlines for some, or most) rather than other more important issues. But
not much exposure or stress is given to immunization, newborn screening, or
child nutrition. Campaigns on these have not been that intensive in the past
few years. This might be one of the reasons why our progress in reaching
MDGs related to child health is slow.
Take for instance, the RA 9288, or the Newborn Screening Act of
2009, which aims to prevent irreversible damage to a newborn through
early detection and correction of metabolic problems. Every time that we talk
to mothers about newborn screening, may it be their first child or their nth
child, they would always ask what it is. Why? Because they dont know it, nor
they ever saw it on the television. But the media goes gaga over laws such
as My Husbands Lover Act, or choosing whether adobo or sinigang be the
national food of the Philippines.
Another pressing topic is about child nutrition. It was noted in the
National Objectives for Health that there is a lack of intervention among
under five children after 6 months of age. Also, iron deficiency anemia (IDA)
is an issue. It is common not only among women, but also among
adolescents, and infants. In fact, half of the infants have IDA as noted.
Breastfeeding as a way of preventing malnutrition, has also shown no
significant improvement. And take note, the timespan is 5 years. Five years
and they report no significant improvement. When are we supposed to take
action? When half of the Filipino children are already undernourished?
believe that interventions are not late. And since I have reacted to this
matter, I believe that I am part of the change that this system needs. Simple
encouraging to mothers, or help in disseminating information regarding
these issues can help the system to achieve its goals. Encouraging them to
vaccinate, to ask their health care center regarding these matters. Or if I will
be a doctor in the future, participate and be aware of the current objectives
of the DOH, and be a catalyst to it by encouraging mothers to be healthy
before they decide to have their babies, teach them of the importance of
NBS, and the like. We cannot always blame the system. We as members of
private sector also have the responsibility to help, to support the projects of
the government, in order to have healthy Filipino children in the future.