The Philippines has made several strides towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However the challenges and the dilemma remain, reducing child mortality is still a long process.
As Mr. Richardson Cua, Senior Economic and Development Specialist from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) of Region X puts it into words. “Statistics on deaths for child mortality is hard to determine since neighborhoods located in far flung areas have the tendency not to report instances of fatality because transportation.”
NEDA, as mandated by the Philippine Constitution, is the country’s independent economic development and planning agency headed by the President as the chairman of the board.
NEDA, the social and economic coordinating body of the Philippines, has been divided into smaller tangible sectors to address the different concerns of local places throughout the country.
In the province of Misamis Oriental, Mrs. Marlene T. Lamparero, Health Officer II from the Provincial Health Office together with her crew and other local health officials has determined nine leading causes of child fatalities for children less than five years of age, namely: pneumonia, septicemia, prematurity, diarrheal diseases, accidents, anemia and kidney problems, congenital anomalies and heart diseases.
Programs and projects
Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) is an intensified door-to-door immunization campaign done in areas with low percentage of Fully Immunized Children (FIC). Through the collaborations of the Department of Health (DOH) with the local health centers and clinics, it has been proven and tested that the expanded program for immunization lowers the risk of infant death.
Nutrition program geared towards the reduction of malnutrition for 0-5 year old children has been made to ensure that babies born every year were well-nourished. Improving maternal health was also highlighted. It is known that healthy mothers give birth to healthy babies. Accordingly these expectant mothers were educated with the right choice of food.
Challenges: a call for action
Strengthening of Local Health Systems is emphasized through proper trainings of local health officials. The success of this program would lie in the interplay of the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the private sector.
Addressing the call towards achieving the fourth MDG goal which is to reduce child mortality for children less than five years of age is a joint effort. People must not only rely on what the government can do for them. Each one must also think how he/she can contribute to the attainment of the goals on or before 2015.
The challenge here is whether people will respond to this call for action.
As what Ms. Monavic M. Budiongan from the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) says, “In an institution like ours our greatest concern here lies in the goodwill of the children under our care and protection. We adopt kids who were abandoned or those that were victims of frail reality. To avoid situations wherein child mortality is involved, we see to it that the kids we are about to take in are healthy and strong. We make sure that those people who turn them over to us give a notified record of the child’s previous medical history. Gladly, child mortality is a rare case here in Cagayan de Oro City or maybe in Region X as well.”
kim damlani
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