• In 1977, the United Nations General Assembly declared the holiday.
• In 1988, Philippine President Corazon Aquino signed Proclamations 224 and 227.
• In 1990, the above precedents led to approval of Republic Act 6949, declaring March 8 National Women’s Day in the Philippines.

International Women’s Day is therefore a bit older than the national one here. Important as the latter is, it is worth acknowledging the import of the former—not just as the precursor of our own women’s day but also as the global expression of its sentiments. Part of the idea behind Women’s Day has always been to unite women, after all… regardless of the state borders that may surround them.

A unifying occasion generally requires a nucleus. While there are obviously many different hubs of communication and organization for International Women’s Day, there is arguably a central one that most parties stay in touch with: the official event’s website. Here, people may find resources like the following:

1. A theme that is selected yearly. It serves to organize the annual celebrations in different locations.
2. Official icons and logos for the event.
3. A calendar of events around the world that are celebrating the occasion. Event organizers submit their events to the site for this area.

Last year’s theme urged people to make pledges for parity (#PledgeForParity). Famous pledgers included the following:

What about this year? 2017’s theme is this: to be bold for change (#BeBoldForChange).

How are people being bold this year?

All around the world, things are being done to mark the occasion:

Italy has given free entry to all museums for women on the day. The country’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage has also announced a focus on works of art on and by women in local collections.

Image by Raffaele Stern

Australia’s National Committee for UN Women will host a breakfast for the event with Pakistan’s UN Ambassador as a speaker, among other celebrations.

Pakistan’s Muniba Mazari will be giving a talk at the Australian event on March 8.

In London, the Avon CEO Sheri McCoy and Refuge CEO Sandra Horley CBE are hosting an event discussing women’s empowerment, domestic violence, and survival. In the same city, both male and female artists are standing up to art world sexism (#ArtWorldSexism) in Trafalgar Square.

Nigeria’s International Chamber of Commerce will hold its first event in honor of the occasion: speakers for the event include notable businesswomen of the country.

Image by The Guardian Nigeria

Women from 30 countries have arranged an international strike called “A Day Without a Woman”. Women participating shall take a day off work, wear red, and avoid shopping save at small or woman-owned businesses. Men have been invited to participate too.

In 11 major cities across the world, International Women’s Day, Global Assembly, Where Women Work, Women 2.0, Techstars, and a host of other partners are holding lightning talks showcasing female leaders in tech, politics, business, and the like. The cities are London, New York, Singapore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Boston, Atlanta, Austin, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Even Amazon’s Alexa (Echo) will remind users of the event on the day, as well as providing a brief history lesson (complete with a bonus joke) about a famous female if asked “Who inspires you?”

We have events going on here too, of course. On the day, all female visitors get free admission to Casa Manila, Fort Santiago, and Baluarte de San Diego in Intramuros.

Baluerte de San Diego in Intramuros

The PCW (Philippine Commission on Women) is also running an online campaign inviting women to share their idea of change and their part in achieving it. See the hashtags #BilangBabae and #partnerforchange.

The PCW has also arranged for several fora on women inspiring women. The March 1 and 15 fora are to be in Cebu and Davao, respectively, but the March 8 one is in Pasay City. It will be in the GSIS Theatre and includes such speakers as Ballet Manila’s Artistic Director and CEO, Liza Macuja-Elizalde. (Macuja-Elizalde also holds the distinctions of being the first Filipina prima ballerina and the first foreign soloist to be invited into the globally-renowned Kirov Ballet.)

Entry to the forum is free, but pre-registration is required due to limited seating. See the event page for more details.

Like the International Women’s Day website, PCW’s site offers organizers a chance to advertise their events by submitting them on its events page for the occasion. You can also learn about more local initiatives or celebrations there.

There is obviously a lot being done to recognize the holiday, but believe it or not, there is even more still to do. In the face of new data confirming old news (like the World Economic Forum’s estimate that the gender gap will not be fully bridged until year 2186), all who believe in equal rights and treatment for all sexes have to continue working at it for a while yet. Female physicians still have to fight to get their wages to equal those of their male counterparts, for example, notwithstanding the amount of research often showing them (female doctors) offering potentially better care.

So why not try some of the events above to learn more about women’s rights and gender equality? You can even organize your own; if you tell us about it in the comments below we’ll even help promote it for you.

You can also start with something as simple as sharing this article with others on social media, or telling those around you about some of the things you learned here.

On a final note, what about us at SeriousMD? We’re big fans of gender parity, not least since so many of us are women. A lot of the doctors who have given us face-to-face input on what they want out of Filipino practice management software happen to be female too (female doctors seem to know what they want and make no bones saying how they want it!). So this March 8, let’s just say some of us might suddenly take a liking to the color red, among other things.

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The post 13 Facts on the Link Between Love & Health appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

The thrust of the celebration is to promote awareness of the National Health Insurance Program or NHIP. In the Philippines, that is more or less equivalent to the agency called PhilHealth.

PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) is a government-owned-and-controlled corporation in existence since 1995. It is the means through which the state strives to attain universal health coverage. As such, it is also the body that generally spearheads the NHIP Month celebration.

PhilHealth is not alone in leading observance of the event, however. Other governmental groups work in partnership with it, including the following:

• Department of Health (DOH)
• Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
• Department of Labor and Employment
• Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
• Department of Foreign Affairs

Why Do We Need an NHIP Month?

Socialized Philippine health insurance is still relatively new. Is it necessary? Perhaps. A large amount of medical expenses still comes straight out of most Philippine households’ funds instead of from insurance. Even in 2013, local households were spending 296.5 billion pesos out-of-pocket on medical expenses.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, that made up 56.3% of total health expenditure for the year.

Since the NHIP’s goal has always been to lower that figure, one may question how successful it has been thus far. Consider this data from the World Health Organization:

Out-of-pocket health expenditure has gone down a little since 1995 if we consider it as a percentage of total private health expenditure (from 83% in 1995 to 82% in 2014, to be exact). However, it has seesawed quite a bit if we consider it as a percentage of all health expenditure in the country since then (50% in 1995 to 57% in 2012 and 54% in 2014).

Compare that to Thailand, where out-of-pocket health expenditure went from making up 43% of all health expenditure in 1995 to 12% of it in 2014.

Some of our other neighbors have not been as dramatic, of course. Malaysia’s numbers went from 33% to 35% in the same period, for example, and Indonesia’s has barely strayed from 47% all that time. Yet these are still noticeably lower figures than ours.

In short, Filipinos are still paying out more of their direct household funds for healthcare than their counterparts in those countries.

The government claims things are getting better. As of 2016, Philhealth data stated that 76.9 million Filipinos were under healthcare coverage. 31.27 million of these were registered members and the remainder, registered dependents. 2008 data also indicated that an average of 90 out of every 100 claims were paid.

But we still have a way to go. Even in 2013—in the midst of an economic boom—the state was actually spending less on healthcare instead of more. In the same year, we missed 5 of the 8 Health Care Financing Strategy targets set by the DOH. In fact, the whole of Southeast Asia has long fallen far behind the rest of the world in terms of healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP.

Moving Forward with NHIP

Medical emergencies still place a heavy burden on our private sector. A lot needs to be done in order to reduce it. Ensuring people are better informed is a small, albeit important start. There are still many indigents and informal workers unaware of the benefits they could receive from being members of Philhealth. This is where celebrations like NHIP Month come in.

Events usually lined up are structured as information campaigns: press briefings and public talks are often on the list. Health lectures, exhibits, and fun runs are also typical for the month. Some areas may also see a promotion of free public health services: one-day primary healthcare checkup services, for instance.

Check with your local health clinic or LGU office to find out if they are doing anything in recognition of NHIP Month. You can also contact Philhealth to learn more about the occasion and their events. Don’t forget to share this out with others who may be interested in NHIP Month, by the way!

The post Philippine National Health Insurance Program Month appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

Both those prior proclamations were repealed in 2015 by then-President Benigno Aquino III’s Republic Act 10661. This declared that National Children’s Month would henceforth be on November.

The change may seem capricious, but not with a bit of historical context. The decision was made to better show the significance of the CRC to future policies. This is the Convention of the Rights of the Child (which was adopted by the UN on November 20, 1989), to which the Philippines is a signatory.

The public agency that typically takes the lead for this event actually predates all of these proclamations and changes of date, though. The Council for the Welfare of Children or CWC was established as early as 1975, back in the Marcos administration. Since then, it has functioned as the focal state body for coordinating policies, programs, and legislation concerning Philippine minors.

Obviously, that covers a lot of ground. Children’s Month celebrations here often include collections for public school supplies, exhibitions of children’s works and skills, etc.

And of course, there is children’s health.

Stunting in the Face of Growth

We face quite a number of children’s health issues in the country. Arguably chief among them now is malnutrition. The topic has received notice of late, especially in the past July—this was National Nutrition Month in the country.

“Batang Lansangan” by Eugene Paul Gonda (gondaeugenepaul on Flickr.com)

Child nutrition has emerged a major concern in the Philippines. A National Nutrition Survey last year showed that malnutrition rates are at their worst for minors at least 2 years old in the past decade. World Vision, a global humanitarian organization, actually rated the Philippines one of the countries with the weakest commitment to ending malnutrition. This was back in 2012. The data since then perhaps gives little cause to dispute the rating, at least where the young are involved.

Elevated stunting rates are cause for added alarm. Save the Children, a child rights group, has noted that it now occurs in about 33% of all Filipino children. As stunting (which has a negative impact on health) tends to be a common outcome of malnutrition, this is largely unsurprising.

This may seem to fly in the face of recent economic data, which has shown us performing better on that front in the past few years. Indeed, many expect our GDP to rise further in the coming months thanks to expansionary policies.

Despite that, little of this has seemed to trickle down to those who probably need it most: the youth and the underprivileged. The inevitable conclusion seems to be that when a country’s economy grows, not everything grows with it.

What Can Be Done?

Like many other development issues, this begs a complex answer. The malnutrition of children can be influenced by myriad things, from natural disasters devastating crops and food distribution to uncontrolled infections with parasites such as helminths. As such, there are probably multiple areas of policy that need to be inspected to provide an answer for this.

In the short term, though, many are turning to solutions like soup kitchens. These are especially popular in urban areas, where most of the poor have no access to the agricultural opportunities their provincial counterparts have.

Photo from Projectpearls.org

There are problems with these programs, helpful as they are, however. There is little to prevent even able-bodied adults from taking advantage of many of them, for instance.

Initiatives like CMAM may be more promising for children. CMAM refers to the Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition model, which has the endorsement of both the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

It has already shown success in some areas of the Philippines. A CMAM program has been run by Save the Children, Action Contre La Faim (ACF – “Action Against Hunger” in English), and UNICEF in Central Mindanao since late 2009. It has posted good success rates (94% of all those admitted) too, making a serious difference to children like the one pictured here, seen before and after treatment.

Photo from Save the Children

In Davao too, a similar model has had positive results, with cure rates going from 75% to 89%. That said, ongoing support from the government may yet be wanting as the City’s Health Office revealed in July that its 2016 budget allocation for the program was insufficient.

Whatever the future of these programs, at least one thing is clear: this is a community issue. With National Children’s Month underway—a time when we should be reminding ourselves as well as the youth of their value—it behooves us to find some way to help combat this problem.

There are multiple ways to do this, depending on your circumstances. One can donate to organizations like ACF and UNICEF Philippines or volunteer for CMAM programs in one’s area, for example.

One can also help spread awareness of the issue. Take note that even those directly affected by it may not always know what they are facing.

For instance, Fahad’s (from the photo above) mother actually delayed bringing him to a CMAM program for so long because so many other children in their area looked the same. In other words, his malnourished look had already been gauged as “the norm”. This means awareness may need to be spread not merely among those in positions of power but also among those suffering the worst of the problem.

Knowing what we face is a start. Talking about it is another. This Children’s Month, take to all of your social media channels to bring more people’s attention to child malnutrition. That way, we might be able to put our minds together and come up with a truly communal response to something that touches on our collective future.

The post Philippine Children’s Month and Child Malnutrition appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

To be precise, there is a growing incidence of autism diagnosis in the country as well as others. This is thanks to changing diagnostic procedures and definitions. However, that speaks more of a rise in those we recognize as having autism, not in those who actually have it (whether recognized or not). This does not rule out the possibility of autism incidence rates actually increasing, but it does not necessarily prove it either.

That said, the proclamation does state other things less difficult to dispute. It talks about the need to develop better awareness and more supportive environments, for instance.

Proclamation No. 711 entered law in 1996, five decades after Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger laid the medical foundations for autism. Even now, two more decades later, many will say the need for better awareness remains urgent.

Naming Autism

The studies of Leo Kanner (left) and Hans Asperger (right) laid the groundwork for defining autism.

In spite of all the research that has gone into it over the years, autism remains very little understood. From its etiology (its causes) to its identification, disagreements continue.

To be sure, a big part of the conflict has been over the core terminology. Debates have persisted over the words used to describe the condition and those who have it—and not simply in the medical field.

For example, a paper published in the Autism Journal polled UK residents on their preferred terms for the condition as well as the reasons for their preferences. The results showed a clear lack of consensus and varied rationales for preferences.

Take the phrase “person with autism”. While some surveyed groups favored it, others complained that it separated the individual from the condition (one intrinsic to his very nature).

Another example was the highly divisive term “Aspie”. While in favor with most autistic adults in the survey, it received its share of critics, including some autistic adults who preferred that the delineation between Asperger’s syndrome and autism be retained.

Does it even matter what terms are used? Arguably so: the language we use to describe our world is not merely reflective but also often generative. That is, it can shape as much as it can show.

So what are the prevailing terms for the condition, then? The first worth mentioning is obviously the medical: autism spectrum disorder.

On Disorders and Difference

The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association provides diagnostic criteria clarifying the medical stance. The opinion is that those with this disorder suffer from a serious developmental disability that impairs communication and interaction skills. Under this definition, the following hold true:

1. Autism is an ailment to be treated / for which a cure must be sought
2. It can come with or without intellectual impairment
3. Severity of the condition is determined by social communication impairments and restricted/repetitive behavioral patterns
4. The spectrum includes any of several previously distinct neurodevelopmental disorders, e.g. Asperger’s syndrome and PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified)

A shirt design by ThinkGeek promoting neurodiversity. Funds from sale of the shirts went to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Yet there are challenges made to this mainstream view. Most noteworthy perhaps is the neurodiversity movement’s omission of “disorder” from their terminology. To people within this (and the autism rights movement), autism should not be termed a disability. Rather, it should be seen as just another natural variation in the species.

Pro-cure vs. Pro-tolerance

As mentioned above, definitions and names here can show different perspectives as well as support them. While the perspectives of autism are too varied to cover in a brief article, the crux of the argument over its presentation is currently this: is it a disability or a difference?

Those who frame autism as a disability are often those belonging to the medical field. Many advocacy groups for the condition also support this view. The latter is especially understandable: most charity and fund-raising movements require a problem to solve to be effective.

Autism Speaks is one of the most prominent advocacy organizations for the condition—and one of the most often critiqued for its pro-cure stance.

Unfortunately, critics may well have a point when they note that problematizing views often promote marginalizing perspectives. They can build distance and walls as easily as bridges.

People within the autism rights movement argue against trying to find a cure for autism because they believe it is a difference to be tolerated instead. Trying to cure it with treatments like applied behavioral analysis therapy or describing it as a disorder is viewed as offensive, often degrading, and incorrect.

Many within the autism rights movement have also argued against traditional iconography for the condition. The puzzle piece has spawned some backlash over the years, including from some autistics who have responded by asserting that they are “persons, not puzzles”.

A common complaint here appears to be the association of the image with the notion of something being missing/lacking. The unpleasant implication seems to paint the autistic as a puzzle with a missing piece, or as the one piece that does not fit into the whole picture (society/community).

The puzzle motif in autism awareness advocacy has been questioned.

Even the autism rights movement has its share of critics, though. People have questioned how well people on various points of the autism spectrum are represented in it, for example.

This is since the vast majority of its members are “high-functioning autistics”. This is a colloquial term often used to refer to those whose cognitive function is higher than others with the condition. This already suggests that the group cannot claim to represent the opinion of all (or even majority of) autistics.

Moreover, the group’s assertion that “curebies” (a term often used to ridicule those who wish to impose “neuronormativity” on autistics) should not be seeking a cure for the condition has drawn flak from some other autistics. Some feel that not seeking a cure is tantamount to ignoring the many difficulties that many autistics undergo daily (and would prefer not to undergo, if at all possible).

Sue Rubin, a self-professed low-functioning autistic

An example here would be Sue Rubin, a self-professed low-functioning autistic. In a piece for CNN, Rubin has stated that “[a]s a person who lives with autism daily and will not live a normal life, I find people who are high functioning and saying society should not look for a cure offensive. They have no idea what our lives are like.”

Grasping for Understanding

There are surely salient points made by all sides in spite of their many quarrels. It would seem fair to say that the following are agreed upon by most involved in the debate, for example:

1. Autistics themselves should be allowed to participate in the dialogue
2. Improving quality of life for autistics is a worthwhile goal

Of course, there can still be any number of arguments over how to make good on these points. Nevertheless, the core idea is clear: learning more about the condition and the debates surrounding it is the way to gaining a better understanding of the topic. One may choose to subscribe to one perspective or another later on… but one has to learn as much as one can about the options first.

Besides catching up on your reading, you can try a number of local organizations to learn more about the condition. You might even discover some intriguing initiatives, like “A Special Place” from AAAP (Association for Adults with Autism Philippines) – a residential community for autistics. You can also check the activities calendar for Autism Society Philippines, which is among the most prominent local charities for the condition. And if you want to try some mainstream events, the Angels Walk for Autism event is on the 17^th at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. You can reserve your tickets for it here.

ASP trustees at their HQ.

Quezon City’s Philippine Children’s Medical Center also has a Knowledge Sharing event about the topic on the 21^st (from 9AM to noon). Those near the QC Memorial Circle can also try the People’s Park early on the 22^nd (8AM to 11AM) for an Artismo event about autism.

Finally, you can participate in the dialogue! Remember that you need not assert an opinion yet on the subject, at least not until you have enough information on your hands to form one. You can start by simply sharing this article, or even by asking questions. Here at SeriousMD, we believe what matters most is that we talk and learn about it, as opposed to sweeping it and our own ignorance under the bed.

The post Philippine National Autism Consciousness Week appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

And that means more deaths.

Over two decades ago, former President Fidel V. Ramos acknowledged the issue by issuing Proclamation No. 705. This declared December 6 to be National Health Emergency Preparedness Day.

The proclamation noted that traumas and sudden injuries were among the top 10 causes of death for the country. Furthermore, it stated that one person died every 22 minutes from lack of first aid.

Underlining the urgency is our geographic position. The country is one of the most disaster-prone locations in the region. Typhoons alone wreak havoc on the country every rainy season.

This image by Wikipedia user Nilfanion shows the Philippines virtually disappearing under global cyclone tracks from 1985 to 2005.

Compounding this is the cascade that often follows one disaster. Typhoons touch off floods, which lead to massive displacement of people, landslides, destroyed transportation infrastructure, and so on. Between these and the Ring of Fire, health emergency preparedness is definitely a necessity.

Working Together on Preparedness

The Department of Health is only one player among the many tasked with promoting preparedness. The original proclamation also named the Department of National Defense, the Philippine Armed Forces, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education, among others. The call for readiness runs all the way to the private sectors of society, in fact.

This emphasizes a truth about emergency preparedness: that it necessarily involves everyone, not just health or emergency services.

The educational sector has a serious role in apprising people of how to deal with emergencies, for instance. Fire drills, quake drills, and other such lessons have long been part of life in many academic settings.

Law enforcement and security authorities can supply training and advice on identifying and reacting to threats. There are even seminars provided by these that advise people on minimizing threats once they present.

Even environmental protection authorities have a part to play, given how many natural disasters here could be or already are worsened by poor ecological practices. In the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, for instance, authorities took to ecologically-sound bioengineering to strengthen and restore the destroyed areas, using plants like vetiver to mitigate further erosion of the soil.

Individually, we can join in the preparations in a variety of ways. We give you a few of them below.

1. Learn basic first aid.

Specifically, learn how to use a first aid kit and how to do CPR. There are actually classes offered by several agencies in the country, with some even more specialized than others (this one offers pediatric first aid, for example).

Of course, if you have a friend who happens to be trained in this already—a doctor, nurse, or EMT—you can ask them to teach you instead, to save on the tuition fee.

2. Get a first aid kit.

There are still a surprising number of persons who lack this in their homes. Take note that 1 is the minimum, by the way. Ideally, you should have one in each vehicle you own as well, or for traveling.

You can make this up yourself by simply stuffing a valise with all of the medical paraphernalia you are most likely to need in a pinch or purchase a premade first aid kit from a pharmacy.

3. Prepare an emergency overnight pack for the natural disasters most likely to affect you.

Do you live in an area of the country especially prone to tremors? Or is it a place where landslides or floods are common? Do power outages tend to be a problem? Do your traditional places of food often become unavailable.

Prepare an emergency pack for each member of the family while thinking of these things. Generally speaking, you want light sources (a battery-operated torch), spare clothes, and emergency rations as well as a first aid kit in the packs. You may want to add things depending on your circumstances. If your area is one that sees flash floods, for example, add an inflatable dinghy or something of the sort. Lifevests would not be unwelcome either, especially if you have children.

Typhoon Ondoy claimed drowning fatalities when it devastated the country in 2009.

Having these ready beforehand is especially useful if the disaster is one you can potentially outrun: you can just grab your already-done overnight packs and relocate to a new area temporarily if you know a storm is about to threaten your home, for instance.

4. Know the emergency numbers in the country.

You can start with the basic 9-1-1 (the old number was 1-1-7, but 9-1-1 replaced it only August of this year). The Red Cross can also be reached at 1-4-3. Need more numbers, like the DSWD or MMDA’s flood control hotlines? Try this list.

Alternatively, you can sign up to be a member of a service like Lifeline. This is currently available only in Manila, though, but it is a nice thing to have when you need immediate emergency assistance.

5. Keep a list of the closest hospitals always in your pocket/wallet.

It helps if you also make note of which hospitals are proper trauma centers. Not all hospitals are prepared to deal with emergent trauma cases—in short, the patient may lose even more time having to be shuttled from one hospital to the other. Keep in mind that wasting time at an unsuitable hospital can sometimes mean the difference between life and death if the case is truly severe.

This is just the start. Generally, it is hard to be “too prepared” when it comes to emergencies. Do you know any other good emergency preparedness steps Filipinos should use? What about go-to emergency tools? Share them with us and other SeriousMD users in the comments below or Tweet them to us!

The post Philippine Health Emergency Preparedness Day appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

In spite of all the World Mental Health Days since then, however, mental health continues to take a backseat to its physical sibling. Professor Gabriel Ivbijaro, the current WFMH president, has often noted the insufficient interest and investment in mental health to this day.

In his introduction for the WFMH’s 2016 report, Ivbijaro also observed the urgency of addressing this problem. Among the many reasons given were the ever-rising number of persons affected by depression and the interaction between mental and physical health on overall well-being.

Beyond the individual aspect are larger, communal issues. Suicide, for instance, is a largely preventable problem that takes a life every 40 seconds around the world. And mental ailments have a very tangible effect on something valued by even those who think themselves least concerned: the economy.

Money and Madness

The Philippines is just one of the many countries where mental illness tends to be stigmatized. Very often, ailments of this type are lumped under the category of “madness”. Given the obviously negative overtones of the term, most people are understandably reluctant to admit to mental issues—whether for themselves or their loved ones.

This prejudice partly explains the serious disparity in mental and physical health investment here. Even in our geopolitical region, our mental health services compare poorly. Janssen Asia Pacific’s commissioned report by the Economist Intelligence Unit confirms this.

The report, titled the Asia Pacific Mental Health Integration Index, rated and ranked the effectiveness of mental health policies and services in 15 Asia-Pacific countries. The Philippines ranked twelfth—scoring a mere 25.5 compared to top-scorer New Zealand’s 94.7. The only countries scoring below us were Vietnam, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

The report underscored the need for improvements and greater awareness in this area of medicine. It also reminded people of the fact that mental illness can be a burden to the economy. Even the top-scoring nation in the list, New Zealand, could attribute a 3.5% loss of GDP to it. What more then for countries like Pakistan (scoring only 12.8 on the index)?

The economic impact of mental illness should give most authorities pause. Even in the UK, for instance, an estimated £26 billion is lost per year thanks to untreated mental illness in the workforce. In the US, estimates put the yearly productivity loss value at $105 billion (with the loss being valued at $200 billion in terms of yearly earnings). The global economy pays the price too, to the tune of $1 trillion a year.

by Scott Adams, from http://dilbert.com/strip/2014-01-13

More than ever, this clarifies that everyone has an interest in mental health policies. Governments should pay attention, of course, yet this is not a burden to be shouldered by them alone. While better public services should be in place for the promotion of mental health, private organizations should do their part too. Some fairly simple improvements in mental health management at the workplace have been estimated to reduce the aforementioned yearly loss by £8 billion, for instance.

Now imagine how much more we could shave off it were both public and private groups—as well as the members of the workforce themselves—to be more invested in national mental health policies and programs. We have all known for some time now that a country’s health has an influence on its prosperity. Why should its mental health not have the same influence its physical health does?

Mental Health Day for 2016

In previous years, World Mental Health Day had the themes “dignity in mental health” and “living with schizophrenia”. This year’s theme is psychological first aid. While notable efforts have been made in countries like Australia and England on this subject, we have quite a way to go yet.

Not for lack of trying, however: two students from the University of the Philippines have created a mobile app designed to help student users get mental first aid. The app is community-powered in the sense that peers provide the aid or counseling users need. Called PsychUP, the app was the thesis project of engineering students Chad Errol Booc and Chara Mae San Diego.

This may only be the beginning, but investment from the youth is a good start. Current Health Secretary Dr Paulyn Rosell-Ubial, while she has lamented the stigma on mental health in the country, has nevertheless stated that Filipinos are arguably well-prepared for supplying psychological first aid when called to it, owing to the culture’s emphasis on care. Dr Ubial has also made mental health a priority for her tenure.

@DOHgovph Sec @Dok_Pau: We need a mental health program that shows compassion; that shows care. #MentalHealthPH

— MentalHealthPH (@mentalhealth_ph) October 13, 2016

All those who wish to support World Mental Health Day and Dr Ubial can learn more by following her and hashtags like #MentalHealthPH on Twitter. (We also cover the topic regularly on SeriousMD, so you can follow us too.) You can also try to attend symposia on various mental health topics—many LGUs help to organize them around Mental Health Week in the Philippines, usually at venues like public schools.

Ultimately, keeping an open mind is vital here, given that there is a pre-existing stigma to counteract. It may require greater personal openness simply to notice the signs of mental illness in others too. After all, as C. S. Lewis (the writer of the Chronicles of Narnia) put it, “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear.”

The post World Mental Health Day and the Philippines appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

These two health issues are very closely linked. The sad truth is that most people still fail to comprehend the seriousness of depression here. There is a tendency to brush over it by saying “Hey, I get depressed too… but I’m not killing myself.”

But some do.

Or rather, many do. In the World Health Organization’s Suicide Report following its Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020, it stated that almost 3,000 persons commit suicide daily. Around the world, the fatalities go well over 800,000 per year. Numbers this high can be hard to grasp, however.

So try this: count from 1 to 40.

By the time you have finished, another person will have killed himself.

And another will do it in the next 40 seconds that follow.

The Silence of Suicide in the Philippines

Even in the Philippines, a largely Catholic nation where suicide is condemned by religious and socio-cultural mores, the suicide rate can still be as high as 5 fatalities per day. As of 2015, suicide was the ninth leading cause of death for Filipinos in the 20-24 age bracket.

It does bear noting that we have some of the lowest suicide rates in our region, though. Again, this may be largely due to the Catholic Church’s opinion on suicide. However, this is far from a guarantee that this will persist into the future. Furthermore, the comparatively lower suicide rates should hardly cause Filipinos to start boasting yet. They still lead to us losing as many as 5 persons—persons you might know or whom you might consider family—every day.

Add to this that suicides are considered preventable. That still means we suffer 5 losses we could technically prevent, every day. And this is with the current data, which may actually be more conservative than the reality: due to the aforementioned stigma on suicide, we have to consider that suicides may be under-reported here out of a sense of shame.

The current Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial has drawn attention to the problem, noting the (ironic) invisibility of mental health issues along with their ubiquity. Under her aegis, the DOH has agreed to work with an NGO to establish a crisis helpline for depressed persons and would-be suicides.

The NGO involved is the Natasha Goulburn Foundation. It is dedicated to furthering mental health in the country in partnership with the government and several of the foremost educational institutions in the Philippines (AdMU, Miriam College, and UP). The Foundation’s and WHO’s helpline begins activities this month and is called Project Hopeline.

The fact that the helpline is being established only now does serve to highlight the lack of public resources for mental health in the country, though. Several mental health bills have already failed to pass in our legislature and while there is a National Mental Health Program, it has not really touched on the issue of depression as a common illness in the populace.

It is a common illness for Filipinos, though. The WHO lists the Philippines as the Southeast Asian Country with the worst depression rates. This means that in spite of the sociocultural stigma preventing higher suicide rates, we might actually have a larger pool of potential suicides than many neighbouring countries.

All of this suggests that the Hopeline Project may only be the first step down a very long road. Some argue that we also need a precise, well-articulated mental health bill to go with it. Others argue for a dedicated program or body coordinating efforts to prevent suicide in particular (something such as Australia’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy, for example). Others argue for all of these things together.

In the meantime, another 40 seconds passes by.

What Can We Do?

The first thing here is perhaps to keep an open mind. Shutting down information before it gets shared harms the situation, yet too many of us continue to shut it down. We often refuse to talk about mental and emotional health, even though both have strong impact on quality of life. We often refuse to listen to people who say they wish to die because we think to listen to them is to entertain the possibility of them acting on their statements.

Yet we have to be willing to learn more about suicide and why it happens before we can stop the things that make it happen. We have to be willing to learn that someone we know is contemplating suicide before we can prevent them from doing it.

Support is obviously vital. We can all personally support those we know who might be going through difficult times or who may be suffering from problems like depression. If psychiatric or psychological help in your area is available, you may also want to help them get to it. (Soon, you should be able to use the Patient App version of SeriousMD to look for such help in your area.)

Finally, you can help to spread awareness about suicide prevention by telling others about initiatives like the DOH and NGF’s Hopeline Project, the lobbying for a Mental Health Act (which you may support here, by the way), and by ensuring that productive discourse continues on the topic. The issue needs to be at the forefront of public awareness if solutions are to be developed to address it. Otherwise, the seconds shall continue to tick by and even more people may be lost in silence.

The post September 9-13: Philippine National Suicide Prevention Week appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

In both proclamations, the Philippine Department of Health is explicitly named the lead coordinator of the celebration. In addition, the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology or PSAAI is also tasked with providing resources to aid the celebration. It also contributes by organising events like 2015’s mall-based exhibits.

The proclamation was a response to survey data indicating that Filipino children had some of the highest incidence rates for allergies and asthma in the region. In fact, allergic rhinitis has been shown to afflict a startling number of Filipinos. A 2008 survey showed it to affect around 20% of respondents, which translates to 2 out of every 10 Filipinos.

Alarming as these figures are, we are far from alone. Estimates put allergic rhinitis incidence rates for the global population at anywhere from 10% to 30%. 2 out of every 10 US citizens also displays allergy or asthma symptoms. In fact, allergic diseases have been on the rise for the past five decades.

There may be any number of reasons for this, but research still continues on the topic. For instance, it was found only a few years ago that allergies could not only be hereditary but also related to gender. Whatever the case, it is important that we do our parts to combat one of the greatest culprits to allergy-related fatalities or complications: illiteracy on the topic.

What You Should Know

We have already mentioned that allergies are common. This does not mean you can take them lightly, though. They can lead to complications like asthma.

Unfortunately, even asthma is often not taken very seriously because of the lack of knowledge about it. Many do not even make an appointment with the doctor after seeing asthma symptoms. Yet asthma can kill.

In the US alone, for instance, 10 persons die each day from asthma. 65% of these are women. And most of them are actually considered avoidable.

Asthma is not even the only complication you can face from untreated allergies. There are of course anaphylaxis, bronchial infections, ear infections, sinusitis, and more.

In many cases, people simply fail to realise that they even have an allergy in the first place. As such, it would be wise to keep the following symptoms in mind:

• Respiratory distress or difficulty breathing
• Swelling, usually around the face (for food allergies, more specifically around the mouth)
• Reddish and itchy eyes
• Blockages of the nasal passages, including with excessive mucus
• Rashes or itching of the skin

Any of these may indicate an allergy, but at least 2 of them are present in most cases. You may not always know what is causing the allergy either, but you should still see your doctor about it just in case. For safety, be sure to do the following prior to seeing your personal physician:

• If this is not the physician you have been seeing in the past, try to work up a review of your medical history to give to him. Include past illnesses, present conditions, and current medications, of course. All of this would be easier if your past and present physicians use EHR software like SeriousMD, as you could simply pass data from the former to the latter digitally.
• In case it is not listed in your health records, make a list of all medications and supplements you may be taking at the moment.
• Make a list of the history of allergies in your immediate family. Remember that genetics may play a part, after all.
• Make a list of all of your symptoms.

What Can You Do?

You can participate in the public exhibits and attend events like the PSAAI’s at the QC Fishermall this year. You can learn a lot about allergies there, as well as how to manage them when the allergens are found in unavoidable areas (at the workplace, for example). Such knowledge is obviously of great practical use and thus well worth learning.

Most local government health units often have their own offerings to the public on this day. Many offer free treatment and consultations for allergic patients, for example. You can benefit from this if you have been putting off your own consultation or know someone who has.

Remember that part of the fight is to help educate others. If you know others who do not know what you do now, you can explain it to them or simply share this article. Given how many people we now know suffer allergies, it is certain that there is someone in both your smaller and larger social circles who can benefit from this information.

The post July 8 – The Philippine National Allergy Day appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.

This sickness carried by mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus has long terrorized the Asia Pacific Region. The World Health Organization or WHO’s strategic plan outline for fighting dengue in the region from 2008-2015 noted, for instance, that of the approximately 2.5 billion persons at risk around the world, over 70% were in the Asia Pacific.

This indicates just how important proper information about the disease is in countries like the Philippines. Fortunately, there is actually a specific month for this set aside by the Philippine Department of Health or DOH: June is Dengue Awareness Month in the country.

The Enemy: Describing Dengue

Dengue is a viral sickness characterized by a variety of symptoms. The most common are fever (of varying degrees of severity), rashes, headaches, muscle pains, and joint pains. More severe instances of the illness tend to also present with recurrent vomiting, pain in the abdomen, bleeding, and shortness of breath.

Dengue, particularly severe dengue, can be fatal. However, survival rates are very good for those who get proper medical care early on. According to the WHO, survival rates go up to as much as 99% if a person gets treatment in the early stages of the disease.

This should show that where survival against dengue is concerned, vigilance and suspicion are essential. Keeping an eye on yourself and those around you can help with early detection. If any case appears of reasonable suspicion of infection with the disease, bring the person to the hospital for testing immediately.

Prevention is still the best method of fighting dengue, however. At present, there are 2 main approaches to it. The first and more widely practiced is that of managing the environment to reduce mosquito reproduction and activity. The second is a vaccine.

Campaigns to Destroy Mosquito Breeding Places

In the Philippines, the DOH has been running campaigns of this sort for years. In 2011, for instance, the department launched an awareness campaign built around communal support and participation in its 4S Kontra (Anti) Dengue Strategy – Search and destroy, Seek early consultation, Self-protective measures, and Say no to indiscriminate fogging.

By Search and Destroy, the campaign has focused on ensuring that community members do their part to reduce viable breeding areas for mosquitoes. Water containers are checked and covered, for instance. Puddles that can be drained are drained. ITS (Insecticide-treated Screens) are turned over to the Department of Education for installation in schools.

In other words, active prevention of the virus is achieved by preventing the reproduction and activity of its carrier.

The New Dengue Vaccine

Only this year, however, a new step was taken in the country’s public programme to fight dengue. On the 11^th of February, Dengvaxia was launched around the globe, and the Philippines became the first country to offer it commercially.

The vaccine is a product of the pharmaceutical MNC Sanofi Pasteur. It took 2 decades to develop and was launched in the country in recognition of the fact that all of the phases of its clinical development were carried out in the country. Thanks to a 3.5-billion-peso budget set aside specifically for the purpose, the government has already begun a free immunization programme for select Filipinos this year, with a nationwide programme in 2017.

The primary beneficiaries of the current free programme are 4^th-grade students from Philippine public schools. Upon reaching the 150,000-children mark, the DOH reported that only 0.16% of vaccine recipients displayed undesirable side effects. These were usually symptoms like headaches and feverishness.

The Plan: Defeating Dengue

Of course, the two methods of fighting dengue above are not exclusive of each other. In fact, the DOH strongly advocates that Filipinos participate in both programmes. Neither the strategy to reduce breeding areas nor the vaccine confer absolute protection from the virus. In other words, Filipinos still need to do all they can to avoid getting infected, even should they take part in either of these programmes.

This month, you can learn and try the many ways to reduce your risks of getting dengue. For example, you can try the following:

1. Remove or cover all possible areas with stagnant water. If you happen to live near a large body of water like a lake or pond, try to avoid coming closer to it than you need to.
2. Install screens on every window or opening of the house.
3. Invest in a good mosquito repellent if you really have no choice but to expose yourself to the insects.
4. Get the dengue vaccination.
5. Wear long-sleeved shirts and full trousers.

You can help not only by doing these things but also by spreading the word. Tell others around you about the ways they can reduce their risks of having this disease. Tweet out the list above, for example. What matters is that you participate in what is a community effort to stamp out one of the longstanding scourges of the country.

The post Philippine Dengue Awareness Month appeared first on SeriousMD Blog.