Press Release
Department of Health and the World Health Organization

Manila, Philippines, 5 March—Does the Philippines have the ability to contain a potential human influenza pandemic?

This Wednesday and Thursday (5 and 6 March), the Philippine Department of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization Representative's Office in the Philippines, will assess its rapid response and containment strategies to stop, or at least slow, a potential influenza pandemic at its source. The simulation exercise on Wednesday and table top exercise on Thursday, known as Panstop II, will evaluate the strategy and help fill gaps in the country's response plan.

Press Release/18 February 2008

Improved hygiene behaviors and access to toilets will lower child mortality rates, reduce malnutrition and infection rates.

The Department of Health (DOH) today launched the observance of the International Year of Sanitation as declared by the United Nations General Assembly that recognized the importance of sanitation to all of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The country’s MDG for the year 2015 is to ensure that 86.8% of the population will have access to safe water and 73.8% of the population will have access to a sanitary toilet facility.

Press Release/21 January 2008

Information is power.

The Department of Health (DOH) today turned over dengue information resources to the education and local government departments and the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas, to add more power to their capabilities in helping curtail the dengue problem in the country, as the DOH launched its 2008 National Anti-Dengue Campaign.

Press Release/31 January 2008

The Department of Health (DOH) today disclosed that it is launching simultaneously its regional kick-off activities for its To-DOH LABAN Sa DENGUE, the national anti-dengue campaign, this February with Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III leading the rites in the CARAGA region.

25 January 2008

There is no need to have a generics-only provision in the Cheap Medicine Bill based on evidence that more and more Filipinos are buying generic drugs.

Press Release/30 December 2007

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III today called for the banning of the Piccolo, a small firecracker that is lighted like a matchstick, in the face of the growing number of persons who are being brought to hospitals in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

“Piccolo has caused more injuries than any other firecracker or pyrotechnic device this year, ahead of the New Year’s celebration when more Filipinos are feared to suffer more injuries”, Secretary Duque explained.

According to records of the Department of Health’s National Epidemiology Center (DOH-NEC) from December 21 until today, piccolo has been consistently the number one (22% or 29) cause of all fireworks/firecracker injuries, mostly eye injuries (28% or 8) and blast/burn injuries (72% or 21), among ten years and below (30% or 18). Most of the cases (79% or 23) are from the Metro Manila area.

28 December 2007

The Department of Health urged the country’s lawmakers today to immediately pass priority health bills particularly the General Appropriations Bill of 2008, the finalized version of the Cheaper Medicines Bill, the BFAD Strengthening Bill (House Bill #3293 or the Comprehensive Food, Drugs, Devices, Cosmetics & Health Products Act of 2007) and the amendment to the Philhealth law saying that the said measures are “of urgent public health priority.”

“Low-priced quality medicines for the poor and comprehensive health care for the Filipino people through adequate investments in health are twin legacies that the 14th Congress should target to achieve in 2008,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.