Free Anti-Hepa B vaccine to be given to soldiers

MANILA, Philippines - A project that aims to protect soldiers and other uniformed personnel from Hepatitis B was launched on Monday to help them fulfill their duty “defenders of the nation at their best form.”

Project H.O.P.E. (Hepatitis Outbreak Prevention and Education Project) seeks to provide free Anti-Hepatitis B vaccination to soldiers, policemen, firemen, jail wardens and Coast Guard personnel to promote their health and well-being.

The project was made possible by the Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association Inc. (AFPMBAI), an institution formed to provide financial stability to uniformed personnel and their families, and Unilab Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Unilab Laboratories Inc.

“The project will truly benefit the health and well-being of our members allowing them to function as ‘defenders of our nation’ at their best form, free from the debilitating Hepatitis B,” said AFPMBAI President Ricardo Morales.

Rhodora Palomar-Fresnedi, executive director of the Unilab Foundation, said the project is about investing in the future.

“Hepatitis B risk is unnecessary because it is preventable,” Fresnedi said.

“This is our way of paying back and paying forward. We don’t need to expose our soldiers to the enemy of Hepatitis B. This is the least that we can do to those who protect us from other enemies,” she added.

The project is expected to benefit 30,000 uniformed personnel this year. AFPMBAI, however, plans to eventually expand its reach to cover its more than 230,000 members.

About 3,000 uniformed personnel availed themselves of the free health services on Monday in Camp Aguinaldo. Education, screening, and the administration of vaccines will be done in various camps in the next few months.

Data from the Hepatology Society of the Philippines showed that one out of eight Filipinos is infected with the Hepatitis B virus. The disease attacks the liver and can cause acute and chronic illnesses.

In the Philippines, it is estimated that more than 7.7 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis B, between 1.1 and 1.9 million of whom are expected to die prematurely due to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

The World Health Organization has categorized Hepatitis B as among the most chronic diseases. The prevalence rate of Hepatitis B in the Philippines has been rising and is among the highest in the region. – Alexis Romero