Lifestyle diseases still top killers–PSA

By Cai Ordinario, Businessmirror, 7 Feb 2020

DESPITE the implementation of policy interventions, such as the hike in the taxes of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that lifestyle diseases remained the top killers of Filipinos in 2018.

PSA data released on Thursday showed a 2-percent increase in the number of Filipinos who died in 2018. A total of 590,709 deaths were registered in 2018, higher than the 579,237 recorded in 2017.

The list showed that Ischaemic heart diseases, Neoplasms, and Cerebrovascular diseases (including stroke and aneurysm) were the top 3 causes of death in 2018. These are known noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) which are linked to the consumption of “sin” products—alcohol and cigarettes.

“The number of deaths from 2009 to 2018 showed an increasing trend except in the year 2017. The increase during the 10-year period is 22.9 percent, from 480,820 in 2009 to 590,709 in 2018,” the PSA said.

Deaths caused by Ischaemic heart diseases—the top killer of men and women—rose by 5 percent to 88,433 deaths in 2018 compared to 84,120 in 2017.

Filipinos who died of cerebrosvascular diseases rose by 3.66 percent to 61,959 in 2018, from 59,774 in 2017.

In contrast, deaths due to neoplasms fell by 1.05 percent to 63,454 in 2018, from 64,125 in 2017.

The other top causes of deaths in the Philippines are pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, hypertensive diseases, chronic lower respiratory infections, respiratory tuberculosis, other heart diseases, and the remainder of diseases of the genitourinary system.

However, data from the PSA showed that the top killers of Filipino males differed from that of females. In 2018, transport accidents barged into the list of the top killers of Filipino males, and accounted for 10,381 deaths.

The top 3 regions in terms of deaths by usual residence—Calabarzon, National Capital Region (NCR), and Central Luzon—were all in Luzon. These regions were also the top sources of income and economic growth in the Philippines.

The three regions accounted for nearly 40 percent of total deaths. In terms of GDP the three accounted for 60 percent.

The number of deaths in Calabarzon reached 85,816, or 14.5 percent of the total followed by Metro Manila with 74,934 or 12.7 percent, and Central Luzon with 70,706, or 12 percent.

The three regions that recorded the least number of deaths were the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (3,703), Cordillera Administrative Region (8,576), and Caraga (15,348). The total accounted for only 4.7 percent of total deaths in the country.

18 months only

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Joey Sarte Salceda said that by his own reckoning, Republic Act 11467, which amended the country’s tax code and raised taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, will have an impact on consumption for only 18 months.

With this, Salceda said it is important to conduct a review of the review of the rates after the third year of implementation of the new rates.

Action for Economic Reforms (AER) Coordinator Filomeno Sta. Ana III said the demand for sin products has become inelastic, which means people will continue to buy these products regardless of the price.

If incomes increase in the next few months, those who cut back on their consumption of alcoholic beverages will have the purchasing power to be able to buy more or at the same rate they did before the law was passed.