The Department of Health (DOH) officially launched Friday in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental the nationwide campaign against polio eradication with the use of the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) which is to be administered by trained health workers through intramuscular injection.
DOH Sec Janet Garin told more than 1,500 health workers and local officials the Philippines is still a high-risk country for polio importation because of its highly migratory population, due to the presence of numerous airports, seaports and other ports of entry, including areas with low immunization coverage, no complete immunization of children and inadequate reporting of cases.
Even if the Philippines has maintained its status of being polio-free since 2000 it calls for continued vigilance and for former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Mar Roxas, the vaccination campaign must continue and should not be relaxed.
Mar Roxas, the administration’s presidential standard bearer for the 2016 polls, arrived here Friday for the said launching activity.
Roxas stressed the campaign “Iwas Polio” is not just a theory but a fight for the future, for the shattered dreams of “Marie” which was mentioned in the report of Sec. Garin, calling everybody as “Ligtas Polio Warriors.”
In his message to a huge crowd of health workers at the Negros Oriental Convention Center, Roxas said there is no limitation as to what a country, a society, a people can do if it is united towards a common good, under the Daang Matuwid program of President Benigno Aquino III in the last five years.
The presidential aspirant, Roxas, cited other health programs of the Aquino administration that has brought impact on the life of every Filipino, one of which is the universal health care program.
Prior to the passage of the law, indigent patients are given a run around, have to ask for clearance, permission and endorsement of the village chief, or the mayor, before they can avail of health services.
But with the Universal Health Care (UHC) program, everybody, including indigents, is being treated as equals.
The problem, however, is where to source the funds for the UHC implementation.
The same was answered by the Sin Tax law which was treated as a health concern rather than as new form of taxation.
He also reported to Negrenses how the cheaper medicines law has made impact on the people, especially on persons with high blood pressure and high in cholesterol levels.
Under this law, the maintenance cost for hypertensive individuals is reduced by half, Roxas pointed out.
Also present during the launching program were Senator Franklin Drilon, Reps. Henry Pryde Teves of the 3rd district, George P Arnaiz of the 2nd district, former 1st district Rep Josy Limkaichong, mayors, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, Vice Gov. Edward Mark Macias and Gov. Roel Degamo, who was happy Negros Oriental was chosen for the launching of a national campaign to eradicate polio.
During the launching, Sec Garin, former DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, Vice Gov. Macias who is a doctor by profession and Gov. Degamo took turns in administering the IPB and the Oral Polio Vaccine to at least five children. (PNA/jfp/Juancho Gallarde)
