Entrance to the Philippine General Hospital

In response to the

Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenniu ...

' focus on maternal and child health, the Philippines began the National Demographic and Health Survey in 1968 to assess the effectiveness of public health programs in the country.

Barriers to healthcare

Poor communities suffer a higher

burden of disease Disease burden is the impact of a health problem as measured by financial cost, mortality, morbidity, or other indicators. It is often quantified in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Both ...

due to inequities in access to services and health status. Since financing for

local government units Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

often vary and the benefits package for insurance plans may be unfavorable, some communities face difficulties accessing public health services. Shifting the responsibility of healthcare from the federal government to the local governments has increased local authority and has made communities susceptible to lack of access to basic services. In addition, most healthcare payments are made out of pocket, especially when receiving care from privately owned institutions. Barangay health stations serve as primary public health facilities and are staffed by

doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

midwives A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

, and

barangay health volunteers Barangay health volunteers, also known as barangay health workers, are health care providers in the Philippines. They undergo a basic training program under an accredited government or non-government organization, and render primary care services ...

. There is no requirement in the Philippines for causes of death to be medically determined prior to registration of a death, so national statistics as to causes of death in the Philippines cannot be accurately substantiated. In the provinces, especially in places more remote from registries, births and deaths are often not recorded unless some family need arises, such as entry into college. When there is no legal process needed to pass on inheritance, the recording of deaths is viewed as unnecessary by the family.

Population

As of September 2020, Philippine has a population of nearly 110 million and a population density of 368 per Km². 32% of the population of, Philippine are under 15 years old, and only 22.2% are over 60. In the Philippines, 16.6% of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2018.

Health Indicators

Health Problems in The Philippines

The Philippines faces a large burden of disease: Proportional Death due to NCDs

The main Non-Communicable Diseases are Diabetes, Heart disease, Stroke, Cancer, and Chronic diseases that affect the airways and lungs. While these diseases affect different parts of the body in different ways, they often share common origins. Communicable diseases: Acute Respiratory Infection, Influenza A (H1N1), Bird Flu (Avian Influenza), Chickenpox, Cholera, Dengue, Diarrhea, Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, Influenza, Leprosy, Malaria, Measles, Meningococcemia, Pertussis, Poliomyelitis, Rabies, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Sore Eyes, Tuberculosis, Typhoid Fever

References

External links