P-Noy, Ona lead launching of rotavirus vaccination for infants

Manila, Philippines -  President Aquino and Health Secretary Enrique Ona led yesterday the launching of the rotavirus vaccination for infants and the “Z benefits” of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. covering catastrophic illnesses like cancer and leukemia.

The launch of the rotavirus vaccination makes the Philippines the first country in Southeast Asia to include the life-saving vaccine against diarrhea in the government’s immunization program.

Rotavirus vaccination is for infant beneficiaries aged one-and-a-half months to three-and-a-half months belonging to families listed in the National Housing Targeting System for Poverty Reduction.

Aquino said an estimated 700,000 infants from the poorest communities in the country with the highest morbidity and mortality rates from diarrheal diseases will be vaccinated this year.

“The overall health of Filipinos remains our top priority,” he said.

The vaccine would ensure that the health and well-being of Filipino children are safeguarded, he added.

Ona said the Department of Health is committed to reduce infant and child mortality by improving access to adequate child health care services, particularly for the poorest of the poor.

“The introduction of rotavirus vaccination is a step towards attaining our Millennium Development Goal of lowering infant and child mortality,” he said.

Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhea in infants and children as this infects the bowels, according to the World Health Organization.

The virus results in deaths of about 600,000 children and over two million hospitalizations worldwide annually.

Recurrence of infections with different viral strains is possible, and practically all children have had rotavirus infection by the time they are five years of age.

The Z Benefits of PhilHealth will pay P100,000 for breast cancer, P210,000 for standard risk childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia and P100,000 for prostate cancer.

The government has identified 22 hospitals to provide the Z Benefits package.

In Metro Manila, these include the Philippine General Hospital and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center for leukemia; Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center and Quirino Memorial Medical Center for breast cancer and prostate cancer; and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute for kidney transplants.

Records show that in 2009, diarrhea was the eighth leading cause of infant mortality in the Philippines, with 971 deaths or 0.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Sixty percent of all diarrhea cases in the country are rotaviral in origin and occur among the six-month to two-year age group.

Aquino said the government is focusing on allocating government resources to social services – from health to education to direct subsidies like the conditional cash transfer program.

“Today this idea remains at the heart of our methodology to effect lasting and positive change in the Philippines,” he said.

“While we are cleaning up institutions and processes and holding the corrupt accountable, we are also focusing on the programs and projects that truly help Juan and Juana de la Cruz.”

Aquino said attention must be given to public health as the overall health of all Filipinos remains a priority.

“We want our people to be empowered individuals capable of standing on their own two feet: strong, healthy, and skilled men and women who can take advantage of the opportunities that life affords them,” he said.

“And all of you in the arena of public health are vital to this goal.”

5 M families not covered

Aquino said around five million poor families were not covered by PhilHealth despite the P4 billion that the national government and local governments spent in premiums in 2010.

“But you confronted these challenges willingly: finding solutions, cleaning up the systems and increasing your ability to provide more services, treatments, and medicine to our people,” he said.

“We are aware of the dangers diarrhea poses to anyone, especially in severe cases. For instance, in the second World War, many more Filipinos died in the prison camps from dysentery than from Japanese soldiers during the Death March. If a strong and hardy soldier trained to withstand the most difficult conditions can die of dysentery, how much more our children who are among the most vulnerable in our population?”

Aquino said PhilHealth was now providing benefits that could cover the treatment of catastrophic diseases that could lead to death, disability and financial constraints to patients.

“This represents a change in the way PhilHealth does business,” he said.

“Instead of focusing on one claim or one treatment alone, the focus is on the patient himself. From the surgery to post-operation care and even to therapy, the Z Benefits package provides full coverage for our countrymen suffering from dour illnesses, opening new doors to Filipinos in the margins of society.

“So if Aling Nena has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, PhilHealth will pay for the entire course of her treatment in any of the government hospitals contracted to provide this package – from cardiopulmonary clearance and surgery to the complete session of therapy and even radiation therapy, if it is necessary.”

For 2012, PhilHealth has allotted P3 billion for the Z Benefits package, P1.3 billion of which will be used for the treatment of 12,000 people afflicted with either breast cancer, childhood leukemia or prostate cancer.

Aquino said 12,000 fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters need not die.

“Before, the poorest of the poor could not even visit hospitals or see doctors,” he said.

“Now, we have found a way for them to receive full treatment for the most debilitating illnesses while sparing them most of the financial burden.

“If I may emphasize, this is only the initial implementation of that program. Just as PhilHealth has dramatically expanded their coverage in only two years, so too will they expand the coverage of this program in the coming months.”