DOH pushes Seven Healthy Habits drive through health fair, legislation
Under the Universal Healthcare Law, the mandate of the department of Health (DOH) is to strengthen its efforts when it comes to promoting the health of people in communities, learning and other identified institutions.
To perform this mandate, the DOH is guided by the Health Promotion Framework Strategy (HPFS) 2021-2030, which serves as a long-term basis for population-wide solutions to the seven priority areas: diet and physical activity, environmental health, immunization, substance use, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and violence and injury prevention.
To achieve the establishment of a “Healthy Pilipinas,” the DOH held a two-day “national Health Fair Pista ng Kalusugan” at the Quezon Memorial Circle on April 15 and 16, 2023 to gain widespread awareness and encourage more Filipinos to adopt a healthier lifestyle and be well informed about the Seven Healthy Habits through informative discussions, engaging experience zones, and free medical services such as tuberculosis and breast cancer screening and help promote a “Healthy Barangay, Healthy Pilipinas.”
The DOH and its partners came up with seven immersive booths, all related to each of the seven habits: Move More, eat right; Be Clean, Live Sustainably; Get Vaccinated; don’t Smoke, Avoid Alcohol, Say no to drugs; Care for Yourself, Care for Others; Practice Safe Sex; and do no Harm, Put Safety First.
Revamp of health initiatives
In a speech read by the representative of Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte in the event, Quezon City Assistant City Administrator for General Affairs head Atty. rene Grapilon, said that for a city with more than three million residents, the local government is deeply committed to the health and well-being of its citizens.
“As one of the biggest cities in the country, we face our fair share of health challenges and this pushes us to revamp our health initiatives and create a healthier Quezon City. We firmly believe that health care is not just about providing medical services but also empowering our residents with knowledge and tools to make healthier choices in their daily lives. To create a real impact, we need to use a multi-faceted approach and combine multiple strategies that will work together seamlessly,” the speech stated.
Vaccination is key
AMONG the seven habits, Undersecretary dr. enrique Tayag from the DOH Field Implementation and Coordination Team for north Luzon, said they are focusing on immunization, particularly since World Immunization Week is happening from April 24 to 30, 2023. He reminded the fair participants that vaccination is still the most effective way to protect people, particularly children, from life-threatening diseases.
“no child should perish from any disease that can be prevented with the help of vaccines that can combat specific types of diseases and are fit for varying ages, from pregnant to new-born children up to one year. There are also vaccines for female adolescents to prevent cervical cancer, and the flu and pneumonia vaccines for the elderly,” dr. Tayag noted.
It is important, he said, for children to complete all vaccines to make sure they are protected against deadly diseases while they are growing up. “Vaccination should continue for children based on their routine Immunization schedule. All these vaccines are safe and effective since these passed through rigorous, strict and scientific processes to make sure they are truly safe and effective. The best part is that these vaccines are given to health centers and are free to the public,” he continued.
An opportunity to be healthy
MEANWHILE, Assistant Secretary dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho from the Public Health Services Team of the DOH, said it is not just about having the best services at clinics but also about giving everyone the opportunity to be healthy. “We really want more people to know about the Seven Healthy Habits. Many of us, when we hear the word health, we think of hospitals or clinics. Though it is part of health, other sectors also have contributions when it comes to health,” she said in her speech.
That is why she expressed gratitude to the doh’s partners present during the event such as dr. Malalay Ahmadzai, Chief of Health and nutrition at UNICEF, dr. Achyut Shrestha, Medical Officer, Vaccine Preventable diseases and Immunization from the World Health Organization, Michelle Lang-alli, director of the Office of Health at the US Agency for International development (USAID), and other participants, and of course Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who was represented by Atty. Grapilon, and rep. Stella Quimbo, Marikina 2nd district representative.
She emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the Seven Healthy Habits, and pointed out that the DOH and local government units (LGUS) have many platforms to be able to teach and share important knowledge and skills about being healthy.
In an interview with the Businessmirror, dr. Ho emphasized that the event is part of the activation process to get everyone excited. “We want to emphasize that for the Seven Healthy Habits, it will not be just the DOH or the health sector that will move on this. Many other sectors should help one another and the DOH will become more collaborative with them to achieve our goals.”
She also revealed that the DOH is working with friends from the legislature such as the House of representatives and the Senate in relation to the healthy habits. She said that part of what they are working on is food labeling, which is already common in other countries. “We want to help consumers through this so every time they buy a food product, for example, they would already know if it’s healthy or not. Then there’s also the trans-fat elimination bill where studies are ongoing at the House and the Senate so these are some of the things we are pushing for,” dr. Ho related.