HATAMAN TO ADOPT E.O 187 IN CURBING TB ESCALATION IN ARMM

ARMM OIC RegionalGovernor 
Mujiv S. Hataman.(By Jong Cadion)

COTABATO CITY – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) OIC Regional Governor Mujiv S. Hataman will soon sign the adoption of Executive Order 187, Series of 2003 instituting the Comprehensive and Unified Policy (CUPS) for Tuberculosis Control in the region.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem where the Philippines  ranked ninth among the 22 high burden countries, and being the number 6 among the 10 leading causes of mortality in the country with 26,588 deaths at a mortality rate of 31.2  per 100,000 population in 2010. 

Apparently, TB rank 5^th among the ten leading causes of death in ARMM, with 141 deaths and a mortality rate of 40 per 100,000 populations on same year.

Recently, Partners Meeting and Strategic Planning of the Regional Coordinating Council for the Philippine Plan of Action to Control TB (PhilPACT), spearheaded by the Department of Health (DOH) was held, to assess the status of the current TB cases and control programs if it’s in line with the foregoing concern.

“Sa kabuuan, mababa pa ang case detection sa ARMM, marami kaso pa ang dapat mapagtuunan lalo na sa mga malalayong lugar. Paiigtingin pa ang pagpapalaganap ng kaalaman at angkop na mga materyales para tuluyang masugpo ang nakakahawang karamdamang ito.” Dr. Dolores Castillo, TB-Linking Initiatives on Networking to Control Tuberculosis (TB-LINC) stressed in her speech.

Conversely, the espousal of CUPS as the LGU implementation guidelines for the comprehensive and unified policy for the tuberculosis control in the ARMM will be adopted to disseminate the concept and principles of Executive Order no. 187, its  prescribe guidelines, procedures and standards for implementation, and to facilitate compliance among LGUs in achieving the objectives of the issuance.

Meanwhile, DOH-ARMM Secretary Dr. Kadil “Jojo” Sinolinding urged the health advocates and program stakeholders to perk up zeal and be responsible with basic responsibilities especially among the grassroots.  

 “We had the obligation and the capacity to respond on the calling, we are empowered to serve, to inform, and to educate.” Secretary Sinolinding stressed. 

The Health Reform Framework through the ARMM-HELPS program of the Hataman Administration prioritizes responsive health system by improving health services, and access tantamount with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and President Aquino’s Universal Health Care Agenda. (With report by Becky D. de Asis)