Health service for Lumads

BUTUAN CITY – The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH13) has made an agreement with National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to pursue better health service delivery and health outcomes for the Lumads or the indigenous peoples (IPs) of Caraga region. DOH-13 officials said the agency was focusing more on basic health services, equitable distribution of needed health resources, nondiscrimination of IPs in the delivery of health services, management of geographical and socio-cultural barriers, and the promotion of safe and beneficial traditional health practices. Meanwhile, National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) Coordinator Arlene M. Serrano also urged a multi-sectoral approach to make this region tuberculosis (TB)-free by 2015-2016. (Mike U. Crismundo)