Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Tag: epartment of Health-Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao

Agri-10 4K Boosts Production, Livestock Support for IPs

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — The Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) is enhancing its support for indigenous peoples (IPs) in Bukidnon province through various agricultural programs and services

On January 9, under its Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran para sa Kababayang Katutubo (4K) program, the agency turned over PhP480,000 worth of carabaos to IP groups in Impasugong town.

The beneficiaries include the Ananaso Pigbuligaan Farmers’ Association (APFA) of Sitio Ananaso, Brgy. Dumalaguing, and the Kapunongan sa mga Mag-uuma sa Ulayanon (KAMAU) of Sitio Ulayanon, Brgy. Kalabugao.

Each group received six carabaos (five female, one male), which the IP farmer-beneficiaries withdrew from DA-10’s Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex. (pr)

DOH-CHDNM to Introduce Shorter TB Treatment Regimen

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (January 10, 2025) – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM) is set to reduce tuberculosis (TB) treatment duration from the traditional six months to four months.

DOH-CHDNM will launch a capacity-building program for health workers in 2025, focusing on a shorter TB regimen for patients aged three months to 16 years.

During a press conference on Universal Health Care Day, Dr. Wellaflor Kindom-Brito, head of the infectious diseases cluster at DOH-CHDNM, announced the implementation of a six-month short regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Brito added that oral tuberculosis treatment will be the only option. “We expect that with advancements in medication, patient adherence to treatment will improve, reducing instances of patients stopping or failing to follow up on treatment,” she said.

DOH data indicate that tuberculosis deaths in Region 10 reached 285 in 2020, 250 in 2021, 295 in 2022, and 390 in 2023. In the third quarter of 2024 alone, there were 375 TB deaths in the region.

Brito noted that the rising TB mortality rate is partly due to increasing TB cases. Poor health-seeking behavior also contributes to the higher mortality rate, as patients often seek medical help too late when their condition has worsened. Additionally, poor adherence to medication exacerbates the issue.

“Some patients experience adverse reactions to the medication, leading them to stop treatment altogether, while others move residences, interrupting their treatment,” Brito explained. She emphasized that TB treatment, unlike typical antibiotic regimens, lasts from six months to two years.

Brito expressed optimism that the new treatment changes would enhance TB patients’ adherence to medication. (Jasper Marie O. Rucat/PIA-10)

DOH-10 urges public to buy generic medicines same quality but cheaper

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–The generic drugs have the same quality and effectiveness as the branded versions because they go through similar regulatory processes at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but they are cheaper, said an official from the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM)

In Talakayan sa PIA: Konsultayo Series at SM CDO City Uptown, Dr. Steffi Grace Enon, medical officer of DOH-CHDNM, said generic medicine has the same active ingredient as the branded version, so it has the same effect.

Why is there generic medicine?

The Generics Act of 1988 ensures that Filipinos can access affordable and effective medicines.

Enon shared that there are two main types of medicines. The first is innovator medicine, which is made by pharmaceutical companies that are the ones to create the medicine first for a specific disease. They also apply for drug patents, meaning they have the sole right to make and sell the drug. But after a few years, with the patent expired, other manufacturers can then create the same drug.

According to Enon, all generic medications on the market underwent and passed the FDA process, while our generic medications met the same quality standards as branded medications.

DOH-CHDNM is requiring pharmaceutical companies to do mandatory generic labeling. “Tanan tambal dapat nakasulat didto ang generic nga ngalan [All medicine should have a generic name],” said Enon.

They also remind physicians and doctors to include the generic name of the drug in their prescriptions.

Lastly, DOH-CHDNM also reminds pharmacies to do generic dispensing or substitution. This means that when a patient goes to the pharmacy and asks for a generic prescription, he or she should be given the generic version of the drug.

There is also the Cheaper Medicines Act, which was issued in 2008 and is an amendment to the Generics Medicine Act.

The goal is to ensure there are generic versions available on the market. The Cheaper Medicines Act intends to lower the prices of medicine even more.

There are various ways to implement the law, Enon said. There is a maximum retail price and a price cap for medicines that belong to the top-burden diseases in the Philippines, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer, among others.

Second, there is a suggested retail price (SRP) for essential and emergency medicine.

“Mandated tanan nato drugstores and pharmacies, mag-submit sa Department of Health sa ilang presyo sa mga tambal [We have mandated drugstores and pharmacies to submit to the Department of Health the prices of their medicines],” said Enon.

Third is the drug price reference index. Basically, this is a list of the prices of medicines for bidding from the government.

“Kung mupalit ang isa ka government facility or agency, mu-abide gyud sila ani nga presyo [If a government facility or agency will buy, they need to abide by the set price],” added Enon. (JMOR/PIA-10)