PhilHealth director: Lifestyle diseases kill more Filipinos than plane crashes

MANILA, Philippines — Apart from family, the other important thing in life is health, so it is about time to take care of the body, Dr. Anthony Leachon stressed as a message for July, considered globally as Health Observance and Awareness Month.

In a health symposium titled “Watsons World of Wellness” held at Meralco Theater recently, Dr. Anthony described lifestyle or non-communicable diseases as a “silent epidemic.”

Dr. Anthony, who is also the President of Manila Doctors Hospital Medical Staff Association and independent director of PhilHealth’s Monetary Board, said that almost 300,000 Filipinos die annually because of lifestyle diseases. He added that out of a hundred million Filipinos, 24 to 30 million have hypertension; while six to 10 million have diabetes.

“That’s 800 deaths every day, equivalent to two jumbo jets crashing every day, yet walang umaangal. Kasi people are dying in the hospitals pero wala tayong masyadong nagagawa,” he lamented.

He said there are four types of non-communicable diseases, and these include heart attack or stroke, cancer, lung disease and diabetes. All of these are because of Filipinos’ unhealthy lifestyles such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.

He added that the three main reasons why lifestyle diseases are rampant are because of ignorance, ineptitude and the changing environment.

A non-smoker since birth, Dr. Anthony said top health killers in the country are related to smoking and alcohol. Incidentally, the Philippines is the highest in Asia in terms of smoking.

“Mas bata ang mga naninigarilyo ngayon kaya mas maaga din sila nagkakasakit. Lahat ng pwedeng daanan ng usok pwede kang magca-cancer – from head to toe. Alcohol can damage your heart, you can have liver cirrhosis, holiday heart syndrome, among others,” he said.

“We have to focus on two important things: Reduce smoking and alcohol,” he added.

The doctor also stressed the importance of watching one’s diet to avoid becoming obese as many problems related to obesity include higher cholesterol and blood sugar levels; gall bladder disease; and sleep apnea.

Dr. Anthony revealed that a lifestyle disease is a disease prevalent among the poor as “they have no access to prevention, they smoke, unhealthy ang diet nila – noodles, tuyo bagoong, hindi sila makapag-fitness first, mataas ang blood sugar, hindi nila alam ang blood pressure nila, hindi nila alam ang body mass index nila, they have no access to treatment.”

“They have limited resources so pupunta sa DSWD, pipirma every day sa PCSO and then sa Pagcor at Philhealth, then uuwi sila sa bahay. Lifestyle disease ay hindi sakit ng mayaman, sakit ng mahirap,” he clarified.

He admitted that the government facilities are not enough to serve the people. The country's medical workforce is also not enough because the Philippines is the number two exporter of doctors and the number one exporter of nurses in the whole world.

“We have a noble burden problem. In other countries, mababa na ang number ng tubercolosis and pneumonia because of improvements of antibiotics. Samantalang tayo we have an onslaught of lifestyle diseases pero hindi pa tayo makaagapay sa pneumonia at tuberculosis,” he said.

The doctor advised that to prevent lifestyle diseases, one has to start eating healthy food and having a balance diet. He added that it is important to exercise daily and be consistent as “the only way that you can see a result is when you’re consistent. No pain, no gain.”