HEALTH SERVICES

1. Protein Energy Malnutrition
2. Anemia
3. Vitamin A Deficiency Diseases
4. Iodine Deficiency Diseases

1. Most of our health and sanitation problems emanate primarily in squatters and high-density residential areas. The widespread poverty, lack of sanitation facilities, improper practices of solid waste disposal and the negative traditional practices in preventative medicine are some contributing factors in the spread of communicable diseases which may lead to illness and even death
2. The leading causes of morbidity and mortality are attributed to unsafe waters and unsanitary food preparation like pneumonia, gastroenteritis, tuberculosis and diarrhea;
3. Inadequate funds for comprehensive health programs is a perennial problem of the sector. Except for midwives, dentist, medical laboratory technician and sanitary inspectors, the city's health manpower is very limited. It has only four (4) available doctors to extend free medical services to a majority of poor constituent. Their services are only limited at the urban core. As a consequence, health services especially medical consultation is hardly accessible to rural residents. Mobile Clinics will be practical alternative to provide support to the existing barangay health centers which are the only primary health care available in the barangays;
4. The lack of appropriate technologies on solid waste management and the absence of a sewerage system has always been a problem in the city which affects significantly the health conditions of the constituent;
5. Insufficient campaign activities for health and environmental concerns can be associated with the outbreak of epidemics like dengue, typhoid, cholera and measles where the most affected sector of the society are the children. Health education is vital to a society of people with varied and adverse culture;
6. The absence of programs and other related facilities for mental health care and substance abuse has made it difficult to effectively respond to the needs of mentally-ill persons. The average number of mentally ill persons registered by the City Social Welfare & Development Office remained at 12 persons. These number included only those that freely roam around the streets of the city. There are still other patients from roaming the city street has long been problem. These people cannot be kept in jails for they are no criminals nor can they be kept in hospitals;
7. The need to re-orient the general attitude of the people for practical curative approach to health situations particularly on the use of alternatives like herbal medicines, acupuncture treatment and others will be beneficial. It is in Cotabato City where the processing plant for herbal medicines is located which is to our advantages;
8. Malnutrition has affected about 24 % of the city's pre-school children. It has afflicted not only the pre-schoolers but also pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as the elderly;
9. Lack of Comprehensive nutrition plan to identify which the vulnerable age groups are most susceptible to malnutrition. Since it contributes to the making of a socially disadvantaged school children, the problem of malnutrition must be given immediate and adequate attention.
10. The lack of sustainable funding support to malnutrition may lead to more serious problem in the future. Although the number of malnutrition among pre-schoolers, pregnant and lactating mothers are manageable, material is support required to address iron, protein and iodine deficiencies of the population mostly affected. This problem is generally common to the poor & marginalized.

1. To deliver better and more effective health services through adequate health manpower and improved faciliti
2. To strengthen community based health care programs and institute practical primary preventive as well as curative approaches to health situations practises in every private households;
3. To make health services readily available to all barangays in the city;
4. To expand health program areas to include mental health, environmental health, and rehabilitation from substance abuse;
5. To raise the level of awareness of the people on health, sanitation and proper hygiene and good nutrition practices through intensive health education campaign;
    

POLICIES / STRATEGIES

1. Intensify public awareness on health & sanitation by strengthening the Barangay Health Care Program through an effective network of Barangay Health Care Workers;
2. Establish and maintain Barangay Health Centers for each barangay and Mobile Clinics to provide first aid, maternal and child health care, and other basic health services especially access to medical consultation services;
3. Encourage the construction and maintenance of sanitary sewerage and develop a solid waste management system applicable for each household;
4. Undertake effective control of air and water pollutants for disease prevention by making available potable drinking water sources in every household and requiring industries to safely dispose their industrial wastes;
5. Intensify the immunization program by providing enough medicines and logistics as well as sufficient information campaign to encourage participation to the program.
6. Establish regular fumigation control program for open canals, streets, houses and school premises;
7. Conduct regular sanitary inspection of food joints, manufacturing and food processing establishments as well as food handlers to ensure proper sanitation and prevent the spread of communicable diseases through food contamination;
8. Advocacy campaign on the utilization of micro-nutrients;
9. Strengthen the practice for low-cost indigenous and high nutritional value of food through bio-intensive garden / poultry and animal raising projects.
10. To encourage NGO participation for a unified approach to respond to the need of malnourished children and mothers;
11. Promotion of good nutrition including intensified promotion of breast feeding of children up to two years old;
12. Intensify promotion of backyard / community gardening and encourage the communities to plant seeds / cutting of Vitamin A rich foods.
13. To encourage / promote alternative medicine practices;
14. To uplift the nutritional status of malnourished children, pregnant and lactating mothers by promoting the use of micro-nutrients;
15. To develop programs to address iron, protein and iodine deficiencies of the population;
16. To advocate for low-cost, indigenous and high nutritional value food commodities;
17. To develop a comprehensive approach and broad-based participation in nutrition concerns;
18. To institutionalize the Bio-Intensive gardening in every barangay of this city.
     

DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS & NEEDS:

• Hiring and deployment of health personnel for the barangays;
• Strengthening of volunteer network in the barangays;
• Improvement of health facilities in the baragays and procurement of basic health equipment and supplies;
• Training updates for midwives and volunteer health workers;
• Production of IPC materials for Preventive Health Management;
• Symposis/Talakayan Pangkalusugan;
• Procurement of vaccines and instruments;
• Improvement of storage facilities and handling of vaccines;
• Annual targeting of FIC, pregnant women, and other beneficiaries;
• Under Five Clinic, Family Planning, Pre and Post Natal Care, Breast feeding, and annual targeting of other program coverag
• Medical attention to severely malnourished cases;
• Provision of micro-nutrients and vitamins;
• Annual targeting of nutrition program coverage;
• Sangkap Pinoy Celebration;
• Monitoring of drinking water quality
• Periodic inspection of commercial water vending facilities;
• Provision of Oresol to diarrheal cases (including teaching people how to prepare oresol and other oral dehydration remedies;
• Medical intervention to people suffering from respiratory infection (including provision of medical indigent residents of the city);
• Monitoring environmental health/occupational hazards in work places (dust, fumes, smoke, heat, soot, chemical and radiation exposure), and in the communities;
• Procurement of appropriate medicine for TB cases;
• Medical and financial assistance to indigent TB detection (X-ray, sputum examination other TB detection techniques);
• Provision of medicine to indigent TB cases; and monitoring of health situation of TB cases;
• Vermin control (rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, etc.);
• Regular monitoring of water quality (piped system, or water ways) to determine condition/cases of water contamination;
• Monitoring of solid waste and sewage disposal system;
• Issuance of appropriate to restaurant, food handlers and peddlers;
• Provision of toilet bowls to indigent households;
• Provision of PAP Smear services to commercial sex workers(CSW);
• Health education/counseling and hygiene awareness activities for CSW's Surveillance and treatment of STD positive cases;
• Issuance of appropriate health clearance to CSW's;
• Health education for :
  a. Mother classes;
  b. Restaurants manager, food handlers and peddlers;
  c. Commercial Sex Workers;
  d. School children;
  e. For people with family history/incidence of diabetes, cancer, hypertension, etc;
• Barangay 3D System for health management purposes;
• Annual health examination in elementary and secondary schools;
• Annual health examination of government workers;
• Installation of data bank on health indicators;
• Procurement of supplies and equipment;
• Establishment of additional dental clinics;
• Hiring of addition dentist;
• Annual dental check-up for elementary and secondary students;
• Annual dental check-up and profiling for government workers;
• Hiring of qualified personnel to handle program (psychiatrist);
• Networking for program support including creation of support group;
• Lobby for regional facility for mental cases;
• Procurement of appropriate equipment;
• Campaign against self-medication;
• Lobby for passage of local legislation to prohibit over the counter sale of
  unprescribed drugs with hallucinating and addictive effects;
• Established network with drug enforcement agencies and pharmacy owners;
• Drug test for government officials and employees;
• Counseling from drug dependents;
• Lobby for establishment of regional facility for drug rehabilitation;
• Enforcement of dog licensing;
• Procurement of vaccines and other supplies;
• Tagging of dogs in coordination with Office of Veterinary Services;
• Treatment of patient of tetanus and rabies cases;
• Enforcement of dog licensing;
• Procurement of vaccines and other supplies;
• Tagging of dogs in coordination with Office of Veterinary Services;
• Treatment of patient of tetanus and rabies cases;
• Procurement of appropriate equipment;
• Hiring of qualified professional to handle management of laboratory;
• Procurement of reagents, etc. necessary to conduct various test;
• Establishment of community herbal gardens;
• Integration of herbal medicine preparation and packaging into health educations classes;

HILOT program:

• training of old and new hilots;
• networking with health professionals
• provision of appropriate equipment, regular monitoring of hilot acitivities to include conduct of meetings, health education classes, etc
• Reflexology, Accupressure, Acupuncture, etc.
• inventory of individuals engaged in provision of alternative medicine services and established network with the practitioners;
• provision of appropriate and related scientific knowledge to practitioners with special focus on the traditional masseurs;
• regular monitoring of activities of alternative medicine practitioners;
• Procurement of appropriate equipment;
• Hiring of qualified professional to handle management of laboratory;
• Procurement of reagents, etc. necessary to conduct various test;
• Hiring of appropriate medical professionals that will provide laboratory services;
• Procurement of medicine and appropriate equipment, (ultrasound apparatus, ECG, blood pressure apparatus, etc.) and other supplies;
• Provision of medicines to indigent residents;
• Referrals to higher medical facilities;
• Procurement at least two (2) Mobile Clinics;
• Hiring of appropriate medical professionals;
• Procurement of medicine and appropriate equipment, (ultrasound apparatus, ECG, blood pressure apparatus, etc.) and other supplies
• Provision of medicines to indigent residents;
• Referrals to higher medical facilities;
• Procurement at least two (2) Mobile Clinics;
• Reduce the prevalence of malnutrition among pre- school children with weight below 75% of the standard weight per age for 10% in 1999 to 50% in 2010
• Increase the percentage of household with energy intake less than 50% to 30% in 2004;

NUTRITION SERVICES:

Volunteer network in Barangay

• Provision of incentives to volunteers
• Annual training for BNS

• Installation of data bank for nutrition related activities;
• Preparation of Comprehensive Nutrition Plan;
  · Hiring of qualified professional to provide nutrition related advisories;
  · Livelihood assistance to mothers of severely malnourished children;
  · Supplemental feeding and distribution of micro-nutrients;
  · Weighing and inventory of Malnourished pre-school children.

• Lobby for allocation of non-negotiable agricultural lands for food security
• Promotion of BIG and other projects that will provide access to cheap but highly nutritious food items to low-income families;
• GO-NGO collaboration;
• Lobby against junk food because of its unhealthy effects on children as well as adults;