Officials and board members of the PSH led by its president, Dr Leilani Mercado-Asis, pose with its partner institutions at the conclusion of the Call-to-Action Forum at the Conrad Hotel Manila last 6 December 2019. Among the participants were PSH secretary Dr Dolores D. Bonzon and board of trustees Dr Carlos L. Chua and Dr Benjamin A. Balmores, Jr.; former PSH presidents Dr Dante Morales and Dr Lynn Gomez; PSH Chapters presidents Dr Maria Vinny Defensor-Mina (Southern Luzon) and Dr Edmyr Macabulos (Central Luzon); DOH Lifestyle-Related Diseases Division Chief Dr Rosalie Paje; PHA and PCC president Dr Aurelia G. Leus; DOST-FNRI Nutritional Assessment & Monitoring Director Dr Mario V. Capanzana and Division Head Dr Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa; Cavite Medical Society president Dr Rey-An Niño L. Garcia; and partners from medical organizations, pharmaceutical industries and media.
PSH celebrates fruitful 2019 with Call-to-Action Forum
The Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) celebrated its 2019 achievements via a Call-to-Action Forum at the Conrad Hotel Manila last 6 December 2019. The Forum featured reports and lectures that emphasize the danger and importance of early detection and management of hypertension.
The presenters and the topics discussed included: • The government’s programs for hypertension, which aim to address the problem at the barangay level, which was presented by Dr Rosalie Paje, the Chief of the Prevention and Control Bureau – Lifestyle-Related Diseases Division of the Department of Health (DOH). • The PSH’s partnership with the DOH for the CV Risk Assessment and Management Initiative (CRAMI), which aimed to continually and consistently evaluate the blood pressure and lifestyle of individuals to determine a more effective management of hypertension. Dr Alberto A. Atilano, the immediate past president of the PSH, underscored the ONE Cavite program, which focused on the reduction of non-communicable diseases in Cavite, the pilot province for testing for CRAMI.
Last 19 November 2018, the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) and the Department of Health (DOH) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to launch the Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Management program at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center. This program aims to support and facilitate the summit for the Philippine Package for Essential Non-Communicable Disease Interventions (PhilPEN); update the training materials for physicians, nurses and barangay health workers; support and train private practitioners; and discuss the cardiovascular assessment program status and development.
“This program (will set up) standard rules and regulations, and (we) hope that it will become a national policy for the benefit of the people that we serve,” DOH CALABARZON Regional Director Dr Eduardo C. Janairo stated. “There are certain risk factors that precede deaths caused by hypertension, high blood and even chest pain; hence, there is an opportunity for early intervention. These indicators will be used to control CV prevalence in the country at the soonest possible time.”
Dr. Atilano presents the goals, objectives and timeline of the program.
“Let us give (the Filipino people) justice because they need and expect better service from us.”
DOH CALABARZON Regional Director Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo
Dr. Janairo discusses the DOH’s objectives and the importance of cardiovascular diseases risk assessment.
The program involves all accredited rural health units, health centers and medical providers (both government and private practitioners), but the focus of the pilot run shall be in Region IV-A, which is comprised of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon (CALABARZON). CALABARZON is the second most densely populated area in the country, next to the National Capital Region, with a population of over 14 million.
CVD is among the prime targets of the DOH, and PSH aims to promote and encourage the advancement of scientific research and knowledge, and to apply these to the prevention and management of heart disease and stroke in hypertension and its complications in the country.
Reference:
1. World Health Organization. World Heart Day. World Health Organization resource page. Available at:
https://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/world-heart-day/en/. Accessed 4 December 2018.
2. Bersales LG. Deaths in the Philippines, 2016. Philippine Statistics Authority resource page. Available at:
https://psa.gov.ph/content/deaths-philippines-2016. Accessed 4 December 2018.
