The Department of Health Philippines and the World Health Organization celebrate this year’s World Health Day by illustrating a few public health successes in the country and worldwide that have improved the quality of life of Filipinos and the global community.
The World Health Day, which is celebrated every April 7th annually, provides an opportunity to focus on a health problem or issue that deserves special attention. This year, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its members, together with the Department of Health, observe WHO’s 75th anniversary.
Looking back over the past 75 years, smallpox has been globally eradicated and many other infectious diseases have been reduced. Since 2000, the average life expectancy of a Filipino has risen by two years to 71 years in 2020 according to the World Bank.
The United Nations agency was founded in 1948 when countries around the world came together and formed WHO to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being. The Philippines is a founding member of WHO.
More recently, in 2019, the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act was adopted into law as Republic Act No. 11223. Part of the provision of the law states that all Filipino citizens shall be automatically enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program and prescribes complementary reforms in the health system, including measures to ensure access to essential health services, promote the well-being of families and communities and protect them against financial and health crises. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2022 Pace of Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the country is on track to achieve the SDG target on health coverage.
Another measure that regards the Filipinos health is the Sin Tax Reform Law and other measures in place for tobacco control, which was acknowledged by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for putting the “The Philippines is a great example for other countries of how raising tobacco taxes can save lives, reduce health costs, and raise revenues.”
Based on Global Adult Tobacco Survey results, the prevalence of tobacco use significantly decreased among adult Filipinos, from 29.7% in 2009 to 23.8% in 2015, which represents a 19.9% relative decline in tobacco use prevalence.
Further, another measure, signed in 2021, the National Policy on the Elimination of Industrially-Produced Trans-Fatty Acids for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (Administrative Order No. 2021-0039) was enacted to prevent heart attacks and save lives. This is considered a best-practice policy in lower-middle-income countries.
“WHO’s 75th anniversary belongs to all of us – to the Philippines as a Member State, to the Department of Health as the leading public health institution in the Philippines, to local governments and various institutions and sectors, and to every member of the WHO, DOH and health care workforce in the country working toward a Healthy Pilipinas. We look back with pride on public health milestones in the country and we look forward with hope to a future of achieving ‘Health for All’ Filipinos,” said Dr Graham Harrison, Officer-in-Charge, WHO Philippines.
“Truly, the country is in a pivotal moment as it traverses onward in its overall health response. To fully prepare the country, the Department has adopted the “Sulong Kalusugan” Health Sector Strategy (HSS) for 2023 to 2028, which enables us to fast-track implementation of Primary Health Care Packages, strengthen International Health Regulations (IHR), and enact the DOH Policy Agenda for 2023 gearing towards a bolstered health system in support of other outcomes. All these efforts are for the continued realization of UHC for every Juan and Juana,” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire.