Press Release
October 25, 2009

ANGARA ACTS ON POOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH CONCERNS

Senator Edgardo J Angara proposed a mandatory health insurance program for the millions of Filipino children of low-income families in order to address lingering health issues facing poor Filipino families, who are suffering from inequitable distribution of resources particularly evident in addressing health needs.

"Everywhere in the world, the gap between the rich and the poor is clearest and most pervasive in health. In the poorest countries, millions suffer from preventable illnesses, such as infectious diseases, malnutrition, and complications of childbirth, for the simple reason that they are poor. These disparities have less to do with individual choices, and more to do with constraints and lack of opportunities. This is what makes it highly inequitable." said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

He added, "Poor families usually forego health care and use their meager resources to put food on the table. A national government survey indicates that 3 out of 10 children below two years old have not received the recommended vaccinations. Full vaccination rate has likewise declined. The national estimates for the prevalence of malnutrition reveal that 31 out of every 100 preschool-age children and 33% of all school-age children are underweight for their age. There are about 33 million children in the country, and 14 million of them are considered poor."

Angara, the brains behind the PhilHealth Act of 1995, said that bringing health providers closer to communities, and giving community members a greater voice in program design and implementation will help improve access to health care. However, Angara reminded that we must keep in mind that no single approach will work for all settings. He added that whatever strategy is employed, careful attention to program design, monitoring, and evaluation is needed to ensure that health benefits are reaching the poor.

"The goal of any well-functioning state is to provide universal health coverage to ensure the poor receive adequate health care. This was the idea behind PhilHealth, which I authored in 1995. However, there are now greater challenges to our health care system that PhilHealth is unequipped to address," lamented Angara.

Angara who proposed a mandatory health insurance program for Filipino children of low-income families through the establishment of a Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP will complement the existing PhilHealth by providing children with a full range of health services like regular checkups, immunization, prescription drugs, laboratory tests, X-rays, hospital and clinic visits, medical equipment, even dental and eye care. The state simply cannot afford to neglect the health of our country's children, if we hope to raise a strong and productive future generation.

More over, Angara recently launched a nutrition campaign tagged as OMG! (Oh My Gulay!) that encourages a healthy, inexpensive diet of fruits and vegetables.

"Good health remains not only one the most basic goals of humanity and all societies in the world; it is a lifelong process beginning in childhood. This campaign takes extensive awareness and call-to-action against the threats of hunger and malnutrition to our children. It is my moral obligation as policymaker to address the issue of child malnutrition in the country," admits Sen. Angara, former Chair of the Senate Committee on Health.

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