First 100 days: DOH fights dengue, expands PhilHealth coverage

MANILA, Philippines – In the first 100 days of the Aquino administration, the Department of Health (DOH) has largely been preoccupied with fighting dengue and expanding the coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

The DOH has also been evaluating the conditions of health facilities nationwide to rationalize the distribution of resources.

The department has also made clear that it would promote both natural and artificial forms of family planning.

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 18, dengue cases nationwide rose to 90,771, representing a 124.37 percent increase from 40,456 cases recorded in the same period last year.

The number of cases tapered off in the last week of August when the infection rate reached its peak.

Some 611 persons died from the infection, a number significantly higher than the 406 deaths recorded in the same period last year.

The DOH has since launched an information campaign to prevent the spread of the dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito, which thrives even in clean water left stagnant, by eliminating their breeding sites.

The rise in dengue cases was attributed to the occurrence of the El Niño phenomenon, the onset of the typhoon season, and the circulation of all four strains of dengue at the height of the infection.

During El Niño from the last quarter of 2009 to early June this year, people stored water in uncovered containers, making these breeding spots for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Infection was aggravated by the onset of the rainy season in July, which is also known as flu season.

At the height of infection, the DOH discovered the circulation of all four strains of dengue types 1, 2, 3 and 4 making anybody vulnerable to the disease because a patient who survived infection of one type of dengue is not immune to the other types.

Universal insurance

The Aquino administration plans to achieve universal health insurance coverage in three years.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said aside from wider coverage, they also want to increase the support value of PhilHealth by reducing the current out-of-pocket expenses of members.

Based on the 2008 National Demographic Health Survey released last January, only 42 percent of Filipinos are covered by the state health insurer.

To widen PhilHealth membership, the DOH held a nationwide registration for new members last Saturday.

Priority was given to some 4.7 million families certified as indigents in the National House Targeting System -Proxy Means Test conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Rationalization of expenditures

For the past three months, the DOH has been evaluating the condition of public health care facilities to rationalize the distribution of resources.

There are complaints that many hospitals are lacking in beds, equipment and medicine.

We have to address that, from regional hospitals to provincial hospitals, district hospitals and even rural health units, Ona said.

The DOH particularly wants to strengthen the capacity of birthing facilities in line with the country’s commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of reducing infant mortality and improving maternal health.

Reproductive health

The health department has been open to the promotion of contraceptives to address the country’s ballooning population.

Ona said the DOH no longer limits its family planning program to natural methods and now intends to promote both natural and artificial family planning methods.

He said contraception should not be discussed in the context of pregnancy alone but responsible parenthood as well.

Ona said DOH P931-million proposed budget for promoting reproductive health in 2011 includes the budget for the procurement of contraceptives and carrying out information campaigns.

He said couples must be provided with all the options to limit the size of their families. –Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star)