| LPP,
German donor partners initiate advocacy meeting on EHCP for
F1 provinces
 |
LPP
president Gov. Ocampos welcomes the governors and the
participants to the advocacy meeting on the “Essential
Health Care Package” held at the Linden Suites
last January 17. |
Governors
belonging to the 16 Fourmula 1 (F1) provinces, representatives
of the Department of Health, Department of Education, World
Health Organization, and the College of Public Health of the
University of the Philippines gathered last January 17 for
an advocacy meeting to discuss the alarmingly poor health
status of Filipino children.
 |
NIH
Deputy Dir. Vicente Belizario explains that majority
of Filipino children suffer from intestinal worms and
dental carries. |
The
meeting was held under the patronage of the League of Provinces
of the Philippines, supported by InWEnt, Capacity building
Germany and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).In his presentation,
Dr. Vicente Belizario, Deputy Director of National Institute
of Health, said that majority of children are suffering from
intestinal worms and dental caries.
He said that although these diseases affecting the children
are non life-threatening, they are often neglected and have
huge impact on their physical and mental development and on
their school attendance, quality of life and ability to resist
other serious and potentially life threatening diseases.
“Worm
infections cause anemia, reduced physical growth, delayed
motor activity and poor mental development; malnourished children
become even more malnourished. Children who suffer from toothache
cannot eat, sleep or concentrate at school, and their growth
and development is affected.”
The
health experts and local chief executives discussed issues
around the implementation of an “Essential Health Care
Package” which is ready available at a cost of about
P25 per child per year.
The
project is a straightforward, practical effort to substantially
improve the health of Filipino children by involving different
sectors and using the schools and day care centers as venues
to reach all children with simple, evidence-based and low-cost
health care measures.
Exposure
to school based daily hand-washing, fluoride tooth brushing
and twice-a-year de-worming will familiarize children with
healthy habits and is expected have as well an impact on awareness
concerning water and sanitation issues in the communities
and hygiene practices in family-life.
The
German Development agencies InWent, GTZ and the Dutch WHO
Collaborating Center Njimegen, in cooperation with experts
from the College of Public Health (UP Manila), are offering
materials and technical support to kick start the project
in the F1 provinces.
All
governors signed a pledge of commitment to fully support this
project and take financial responsibility in the future to
ensure sustainability of the project.
 |
Governors
of the F1 provinces, representatives of the DOH, DepEd,
World Health Organization and the UP College of Public
Health, with key officials of InWEnt, Capacity building
Germany and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) during
the advocacy meeting on the “Essential Health
Care Package.” |
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