Press Release/19 March 2010 The Department of Health (DOH) today revealed that the Philippines witnessed a sharp increase in the number of diagnosed HIV ( human immunodeficiency virus ) cases in the last three years.  Majority of these recorded cases belong to the economically-productive age group. “In 2000, an average of one new case is diagnosed every three days.  In 2007, it rose to one new case per day.  Last year, there were two new cases diagnosed in a day,” Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said. Due to the rising trend and because most infections can be found among economically-productive individuals, Cabral explained that the business sector is in a position to help curb the rising trend in HIV infections by setting up policies and programs in the workplace.  This program is also in consonance to provisions in Republic Act 8504 or the AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998. read more

Press Release/ 4 March 2010 The Department of Health (DOH) reported today that 16 out of the 20 DOH-retained hospitals in Metro Manila have fully complied with the directive on phasing out the use of all apparatuses or devices in the healthcare system that contain mercury. The phase-out is in keeping with Administrative Order No. 2008-0021 which mandates the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions. The move to stop the use of all medical devices containing mercury was jumpstarted in 1991, when the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that a safe level for mercury that would not have any adverse effects on a person’s health has never been established. read more

Pain management is one of the most important aspects of health care especially for those with chronic or terminal illnesses yet scores of Filipino patients are suffering from pain unnecessarily due to lack of accessibility and availability of opioid medicines such as morphine. Although eliminating pain is clinically possible as there are a number of safe and effective methods that treat pain such as opioid analgesics (i.e. morphine), it is often left untreated because access to these controlled medications is a problem for many. Impediments in regulation, procurement, and knowledge and attitude on opioids often pose obstacles in the adequate use of these drugs for medical purposes. read more