Your baby’s precious CORD blood can save his precious life

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As mothers, you will do anything for your child. Even way before they are brought into this world, your instincts kick in and you tirelessly worry about your baby. You want to learn everything there is to learn and more importantly, you want to protect them from anything and everything that can harm them be it the common cold or a fever; and if you had your way, you would gladly get sick for your child. 

And your anxiety is not without reason, since there are many childhood diseases that can be harmful or even fatal to children.

Niña Corpuz, popular reporter, decided to bank with Cordlife, she knew it was an investment in her baby’s and her family’s future. Like any mom, Niña wants to give her baby the best that life has to offer and her baby’s long-term health and well-being was the primary reason for her to consider banking her baby’s cord blood and cord lining. 

“Having my child was the most fulfilling moment of my life. I never thought I’d be capable of so much love and sacrifice until I gave birth to my wonderful kids.” said Corpuz. “Every day is just a joy and as early as now, I think of the many things my child and I will do, experience, and share. I invested in my baby’s cord blood and cord lining because I want to be sure that my baby is given the best investment I could ever give.”

Leukemia is perhaps the most common type of cancer compromising 47.8% of all childhood cancers1. Hodgkin’s Disease1 or non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is the third childhood cancer comprising 9% of childhood cancer. Aside from these types of cancers, certain brain disorders are also common in children. These include cerebral palsy and neuroblastoma. Cerebral palsy severely impairs the development of the motor functions and afflicts 1-2 percent of the Philippine population2. Neuroblastoma, on the other hand, causes the sufferer to lose the ability to empty the bladder, experience paralysis of the hips, feet, legs and uncontrolled movement.

Research into the use of cord blood and cord lining stem cells have been ongoing since the 1980s and has shown promise of saving lives and treating life-threatening diseases. More than 30,000 cord blood stem cell transplants3 have already been performed since 1988. 

“The strides made in cord blood transplantation has made this manner of treating diseases more widely accepted by people,” said Dr. Arvin Faundo, Cordlife Philippines Medical Director. “Currently, umbilical cord blood transplant is considered as one of the standard forms of treatments for leukemia, among others. Also, many clinical trials4, 5 worldwide are ongoing for which the results are encouraging. In fact, Duke Medicine is studying the use of umbilical cord blood stem cells6 to treat autism and related brain disorders. While the trials are still in the initial phases, we are hopeful that these will yield positive results.” 

Last June, Duke Medicine received USD 15 million funding by Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation. Apart from treating patients based in the United States, Duke Medicine has also opened its door for possible participants from outside of the country provided they meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria7 to be considered, patients must be aged between 24 months and 72 months old. The patient would also need to travel at least three times to Duke Medicine in the United States – at the infusion, the six- and 12-month follow up stages. A stipend worth U$1,000 will likewise be provided to the trial participant per trip to help defray travel expenses.

Today, Cordlife has served over 3,000 families in the Philippines alone and is trusted by 100,000 parents8 worldwide.

“We are definitely seeing a growing acceptance and openness of the Filipino market to the idea of umbilical cord lining and cord blood banking because I believe that the parents are now more proactive in finding better means to complete their family’s health protection plan.” said Michael Arnonobal, Cordlife Philippines Managing Director. “More importantly, today’s mothers see investing in their children and families as paramount to ensuring their legacy and their well-being.”

For more information, download Cordlife’s free infopack @ www.cordlife.ph or call (02) 3321888 to know how you can invest in your children’s future.

Paying attention to inner health, being healthy inside and out

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Health comes only from within. The most important is being healthy inside and out. Paying attention to inner health is the best way to be healthy and fit.

A great way to feel healthy is to stay in tune with your body and its needs. Our health is greatly determined by what happens inside our bodies. When our internal organs function at their optimum and our metabolic processes are running smoothly, this can be considered as having sound inner health. And when we have sound inner health, it will definitely manifest itself externally as a general appearance and feeling of wellness.

Taking care of one's inner health may seem a challenge considering the many unhealthy lifestyle choices one is offered every day. But by taking charge of what you eat, paying attention to good nutrition that includes the right amount of fiber, and not to mention being active and minimizing stress, you definitely get to live healthier and live more!

Inner health is influenced by a variety of factors like diet, physical activity and lifestyle choices in general. The food we eat, for instance, influences the level of sugar and cholesterol in our blood which, when it reaches an excessive level, may make us susceptible to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular ailments.

Fortunately, Mother Nature has given us a treasure trove of wonders to help the body expel undesirable elements from its system. One of them is fiber, which is already part of our diet when we eat fruits, vegetables, and oats, among others. But the modern diet, which is high in carbohydrates and protein, is often lacking in fiber content. According to the US-based National Fiber Council (NFC), adults usually just consume half of the 32 grams of fiber that is recommended each day.

Hence, supplementation may be needed to fill the gap. Clinical studies have revealed that psyllium, from the shrub-like herb Plantago ovata, has one of the highest contents of fiber when compared to other sources. Psyllium is a good source of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. “Both are needed for a strong bill of health,” says the US-based National Fiber Council. In the Philippines, the C-Lium Fibre brand, is derived from 100 percent psyllium fiber from the plant’s husk.

The most apparent benefit of Psyllium is its promotion of gastrointestinal health. It works by increasing volume and water content of the stool, encouraging regularity. Fiber also binds with toxins, cholesterol and fat, expelling them out from the system. This means that a person who takes fiber everyday may have reduced risks for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. 

In a study published in the Current Topics of Nutraceutical Research (2009; Vol 7, No.2), reviewers concluded that “strong scientific evidence exists that regular consumption of Psyllium provides modest reductions in blood levels of LDL cholesterol as well as total cholesterol.”

Aside from this, Psyllium also helps promote a balanced intestinal flora, which helps in the promotion of intestinal health. "Fiber," says Dr. Alejandro Junger, author of Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself (2009) "feeds good bacteria” by being the latter's fuel source. 

With its multitude of health benefits, fiber is indeed vital to a person's diet. To introduce Psyllium fiber into your system, simply mix one sachet or 1 tablespoon of C-Lium Fibre in its husk form with half a glass of water or your favorite beverage. Take another glass of water immediately after. If in capsule form, take five C-Lium Fibre capsules twice a day. Drink a full glass of water after taking the capsules. It is recommended to take C-Lium Fibre 30 minutes before meals. Regular daily intake is also recommended.

Our overall health is determined by what happens inside our bodies. Adequate intake of fiber, for instance, helps prevent diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, Mother Nature has given us psyllium, which has one of the highest contents of fiber. In the Philippines, C-Lium is made from 100% psyllium fiber, which makes it a good option in fiber supplementation.

Exercise is one of the key components of sound health, along with diet and supplementation. By complementing physical activity with fiber intake, such as C-Lium, which is derived from 100 percent psyllium fiber, one feels lighter and more energized, hence pushing the body to do more. 

Eating fruits and vegetables is a sure-fire way of introducing the healthy goodness of fiber in our system. The modern diet, however, places importance on carbohydrates and protein, which may result to fiber deficiency. Consumption of C-Lium Fibre in its husk form, an all-natural fiber supplement derived from the Psyllium plant’s husk, helps fill the gap, promoting inner health in the process. 

C-Lium Fibre is a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber and is made from 100% natural psyllium plant. Available in capsules and husk powder, each dose is natural and devoid of preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, sweeteners, or other chemicals. Psyllium fiber helps reduce the risk of heart disease especially when incorporated with a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and coupled with exercise. 

Our overall health is determined by what happens inside our bodies. Adequate intake of fiber, for instance, helps prevent diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, Mother Nature has given us psyllium, which has one of the highest contents of fiber. In the Philippines, C-Lium is made from 100% psyllium fiber, which makes it a good option in fiber supplementation.

C-Lium Fibre is available in supermarkets and drugstores nationwide.

Turning Science into Caring : The Value of Oral Nutritional Supplements in Reducing Hospital Stay and Expenses

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Abbott, the global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare continue the studies and shares us the latest insights for more healthcare to our family and loveones.

DR. MARIANNA SY-QUIA SIOSON, MD, DPBCN, MSCN

Dr. Nina Sioson is a medical nutrition physician practicing mainly at The Medical City Hospital in Metro Manila. She is currently the head of the Section of Nutrition of the Department of Medicine, as well as head of the Weight Management Program of the Center for Wellness and Aesthetics of her hospital. She is also an active member of its Nutrition Management Services Team. Her sociocivic advocacy involves offering nutrition counseling services to cancer patients at the Carewell Cancer Community, an NGO providing support systems for free to cancer patients and their families.

She is the current President of the Philippine Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition or PhilSPEN.

Last June 28, 2014,  Dr. Sioson shared to us about one of the most important matter for all of us - Nutrition. She also explained about Malnutrition Syndrome - undernutrition, obesity, macronutrient deficiency, micronutrient defienciency and metabolic syndrome.

According to Dr. Sioson, "the body has higher nutritional needs during sickness, injury and surgery." Undernutrition is not just being underweight. Dr. Sioson said that more nutrients are needed to recover, build strenght and energy and return to normal life. But patients lose appetite during sickness and nutrient absorption may be impaired.

Nutrition care includes treatment of "underlying causes." During the talks of Dr. Sioson, address underlying causes of undernutrition are  disease, polypharmacy, oral or gastrointestinal symptoms and limited accress to adequate food.

Here is recommended nutrition therapy:













For our loveones who needs to be treated and to be back on their energy, we can help them to increase food intake, serve them palatable appetizing meals and give them high energy snacks. Their bodies need more nutrients during sickness, injury or surgery to be healed and recover.

Oral nutrition supplements can reduce length of hospital stay and costs.  

DR. JOSE RODOLFO V. DIMAANO, JR., MD, Medical Director of Abbott Nutrition Philippines

Dr. Jose Rodolfo V. Dimaano, the Medical Director of Abbott Nutrition Philippines, part of the team that implemented the food fortification program under the Early Childhood Development Project of the Department of Health in order to address micronutrient deficiencies in children.

Abbott's in the now is on an advocacy campaign to increase awareness on the importance of nutrition to patient outcomes by identifying risk for undernutrition to trigger early intervention.

Dr. Dimaano asked the bloggers who participated in the #AbbotEnsureBlogcon how to interpret under nutrition risk. The bloggers conference was held June 28,  F1 Hotel, Global City, Taguig.

A new health economics outcomes study, conducted by leading health economists and supported by Abbott, found that oral nutritional supplements provided to patients during hospitalization are associated with significant reductions in length of stay and hospitalization cost. Additionally, the 30-day readmission risk was significantly reduced for patients with at least one known subsequent readmission.

Here's the detailed study for Oral Nutritional Supplements.

New Study Demonstrates Oral Nutritional Supplements Are Associated With Significant Reductions in Length of Hospital Stay and Cost

More than one million adult hospital cases analyzed in study.

Published in the American Journal of Managed Care, (Feb 2013) the study provides insights into the economic benefits of prescribing oral nutritional supplements to adult patients in the hospital setting. 

The retrospective analysis utilized information from more than one million adult inpatient cases found in the 2000-2010 Premier Research Database maintained by the Premier healthcare alliance —representing a total of 44 million hospital episodes from across the United States or approximately 20 percent of all inpatient admissions in the U.S.

Benefits associated with patients provided oral nutrition supplements during hospitalization included 21% or 2.3 days reduction in length of stay and 21.6% or $4,734, reduction in patient hospitalization cost. 

Additionally, there was a 6.7% reduction in the probability of a 30-day readmission in patients who had at least one known subsequent readmission and were provided oral nutrition supplements during the previous hospitalization.

″Impaired nutritional status, especially in patients recovering from serious illnesses or surgery, can result in longer hospital stays; an increase in complication rates, higher readmission rates, and associated health care costs, ″ says Dr. Marianna Sioson, president of the Philippine Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. ″Research shows that using oral nutritional supplements can help reduce their length of stay and associated hospital costs. This is indeed good news for the 4 out of 10 hospitalized Filipino patients who are nutritionally at-risk since most of them shoulder their hospital expenses out of their own pockets.”

In the study, investigators were able to determine differences in length of stay and costs by comparing hospital stays where oral nutritional supplements were prescribed to stays of similar conditions where oral nutritional supplements weren’t prescribed. 

″In an increasingly cost-pressured environment, health economics assessments can more comprehensively determine a therapy’s true value. Our results point to the tangible benefits of inpatient oral nutritional supplements on health outcomes and cost of care, factors that impact a hospital’s bottom line,” said study co-author, Darius Lakdawalla PhD, Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical Development and Regulatory Innovation, USC School of Pharmacy, and Sol Price School of Public Policy, and Director of Research, Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, University of Southern California

″Because oral nutrition supplements are formulated to provide advanced nutrition and calories for compromised patients and are relatively inexpensive to provide, the sizeable savings they generate make supplementation a cost-effective therapy,″ said study co-author, Tomas Philipson PhD, Daniel Levin Chair of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. 

The ″Impact of Oral Nutritional Supplementation on Hospital Outcomes" study is a retrospective data analysis on the effect of oral nutritional supplements on hospital economic outcomes. The study compared hospital stays where oral nutritional supplements were provided with similar hospital stays that did not provide oral nutritional supplements. The difference between length of hospital stay and cost of treatment (including supplies, labor, depreciation of equipment, etc.) were measured. 

The probability of 30-day hospital readmission also was calculated. 

The retrospective analysis utilized information from more than one million adult inpatient cases found in the Premier Research Database from 2000 – 2010, maintained by the Premier healthcare alliance – representing a total of 44 million hospital episodes from across the United States or approximately 20 percent of all inpatient admissions in the United States. The full sample consisted of adults 18 years and older and focused on oral feeding interventions only. The matched sample ultimately included: 1,160,088 total episodes (oral nutritional supplements episodes N= 580,044 and non-oral nutritional supplements episodes N=580,044), where propensity score matching and instrumental variables were used to address potential bias due to non-random selection.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

TGP and Kuya Kim partner to promote generic medicine awareness

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Passionate in his advocacy of a healthy Filipino community, Matanglawin host, TV Patrol’s resident weatherman and the country’s king of trivia, Kuya Kim Atienza, recently partnered with the country’s largest drugstore chain, The Generics Pharmacy® (TGP), to promote generic medicine awareness in the Philippines.

Having gone through a massive stroke and currently battling a rare medical disorder, Kuya Kim believes that aside from the quality of a certain medicine, price is highly crucial especially with the current state of healthcare systems in the country and when it is assumed generally by private individuals. 

“When I had my stroke, I realized just how pitiful our healthcare system is. What’s worse is that if you are not that well off and you suddenly get sick, it will probably cost you a fortune especially with those expensive treatments,” explained Kuya Kim. “You can also add the increasing price of medicines to the list.” 

“This has been my motivation to push for affordable yet equally safe and effective alternatives when it comes to medicines. For someone who needs to spend a lot on a daily basis as treatment for my sickness, this includes constant intake of paracetamol for the pain, I am thankful that we have generic medicines that are readily available in the market today,” he added. 

Kuya Kim, a health buff and fitness enthusiast, was recently diagnosed with the Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack the nerves, and when not treated early, can paralyze the entire body. 

He currently stars in TGP’s latest multi-media campaign featuring the human clinical study conducted by the De La Salle Health Sciences Institute (DLSHSI) to prove the safety and efficacy of the TGP Paracetamol, the company’s first private label generic medicine. 

TGP President and CEO Benjamin Liuson (left), and TGP Chief Marketing Officer Philip Tan (right) with the company’s newest brand ambassador, Matanglawin host Kuya Kim Atienza.

The TGP Paracetamol is the first clinical and human-trial tested private label generic medicine brand that is proven to be in equal effectiveness to off-patent brands. This was tested via a randomized three-way crossover single dosed bioequivalence study against the leading and innovator paracetamol brands in the market. 

“Kuya Kim is the epitome of a true survivor. His experience, both in his medical battles and in his career, provides great credibility and truthfulness in our advocacy towards the promotion of generics in the country,” said TGP President and CEO Benjamin Liuson. “We are very much excited with what this partnership will bring.” 

With over 1,600 franchised outlets nationwide, TGP is strengthening its pro-health advocacy by getting reputable and well-known personalities like Kuya Kim and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto to support their cause. 

The company is committed to providing the highest quality of healthcare possible at a very affordable price by adding to its wide range of generic medicines like vitamins, maintenance medicines for the heart, diabetes and cholesterol, and the new TGP Paracetamol, which can be bought at only P1.00 per tablet in all TGP outlets. 

TGP also offers its customers a Dial-A-Doctor service wherein they can get free medical consultation from a doctor on duty and receive recommendations right away by simply dialing 732-3333.

The service is available from Monday to Saturday, from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Take care of your body, eat healthy, and stay fit : Barley grass bolsters nourishing properties, healing multitudes

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Taking care for myself and for my family is the most important. As always, taking care for our body, as is very important for our overall health and well-being. A healthy living is essential to maintaining good health across our life span.

Good nutrition is important to all people. Addition to eating well, you need to eat safely. By following a few basic safety rules when you prepare and eat your meals, you can protect yourself from food-related illness. Sometimes, I think I need to take some kind of supplement to get more vitamins and minerals, but how do I know which ones I should try and which one should stay away from? Listening to doctors and people knowledgeable to health, doing researches, reading and taking notes to stay health and fit,  are included in my activities.

Barley Grass which is one of nature's most nourishing foods. "The leaves of Green Barley provide the nearest thing to the perfect food this planet offers" - Japanese researcher Hagiwara

Recently I read research which unveiled a wealth of other possible benefits of green barley leaves. Read this very important and great information on barley grass. 

Find out how to take care of your body, eat healthy, and stay fit!

Numerous studies have proven that organic barley grass is the potent super food containing important vitamins, proteins and minerals that are essential for the human diet.

It has seven times more vitamin C than oranges, five times more iron than spinach and 10 times more calcium than milk. Young barley grass also has more than twice oxygen radical observance capacity (ORAC) or antioxidant value found in 200 grams each of prunes, raisins, kale, raw spinach and grapes combined.  ORAC measures the ability of a plant to neutralize harmful free radicals that are the culprit in lifestyle and age-related diseases.

With these components, it’s not surprising that barley used by many as an excellent countermeasure against heart diseases, cancer and diabetes, while some use it to combat anemia, asthma, dysmenorrhea, goiter, migraine, osteoarthritis and other common illnesses.

In today’s lightning-quick lifestyles and chemical and preservative-based foods, barley grass serves as the body’s balancing force against stress, fatigue and dreadful diseases. This trend is long foretold by the country’s top distributor of the finest barley powder from New Zealand: Santé International, Inc.

“Health is wealth indeed. Thus, through our products, we want to help our consumers maintain their everyday strength, while they perform their roles for the long run,” explains Jesus Joey Marcelo, Chief Executive Officer of Santé International, Inc.

Today’s barley authority offers five products that underwent a meticulous and patented manufacturing process but Marcelo discloses that the company will soon introduce new and exciting barley-based products that will surely benefit many.

Living proof for better health

Mercedita Alakar, a businesswoman, was bothered by body pains, constant weakness and incessant coughing after suffering from stroke and hypertension. “I took Santé Barley Pure New Zealand once a day and felt at ease afterwards. The ache on my nape was gone, my blood pressure went down and I’m no longer stressed out.”

Princess Jamila Cana, on the other hand, was diagnosed with neonatal pneumonia with clinical sepsis months after she was born on May 2010. In August of that same year, she was given Santé Pure Barley New Zealand by her mother. In three weeks’ time, Cana was healed of blood infection and her blood count normalized. She can now breathe normally and play actively. Meanwhile, the family of metal cutter Renato Ualdan, who suffered from stroke and was once bedridden, took Santé Pure Barley twice a day. He gained his strength and appetite, and his skin color and blood pressure also improved.

The stories of Alakar, Cana and Ualdan are living proof of the findings of world-renowned Japanese scientist, inventor and pharmacologist, Dr. Yoshihide Kagiwara, who said that barley “is the only vegetation on earth that can supply sole nutritional support from birth to old age.”

Santé Barley also helps people who are constipated, has slow metabolism and weak immune system. Its high-fiber content helps promote regular bowel movement and acts as detoxifier that removes heavy toxic metals in the body. Its young grass is rich in chlorophyll, a deodorizer that helps control bad breath, urine and fecal odor and body odor.

Aside from the two major brands, they also have Santé Choco Barley, a chocolate drink dedicated to help kids’ little tummies in terms of digestion and make them more energetic in school and at play. This energy booster also reduces wheezing and inflammation commonly associated with asthma. For coffee connoisseurs, they would surely love Santé Barley Fusion, the new great tasting adventure to wake up their senses. And to defy skin age, there’s Santé C'est Bon, with papaya extracts that lighten skin along with goat’s milk that moisturizes and exfoliates dead skin.

To ensure product credibility and reliability, Santé uses only barley grass certified by BioGro New Zealand’s leading organic certifier. This assures users that Santé barley grass does not contain unsafe levels of heavy metal, herbicide and insecticide residues. Furthermore, Santé products contain no pork, lard or other elements of impurities defined under Islamic Law so therefore, Halal certified.

For more information about Santé products, visit www.santebarley.com.

Do you know Saridon? Is it Effective or not?

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We must search for the best medicines to provide pain relief of  body aches and headaches. I didn’t do this for the past years because I just took famous name of paracetamol medicines. But after I survived an operation (with Brain Anuerysm)  last year, I always do research for the best medicines to take on the times of headaches and body aches. 

Saridon is an analgesic specially made for treating headaches. It is the headache specialist because it is specifically formulated to target persistent headaches. It provides fast and effective relief from mild to severe headaches. Saridon’s unique formula enables it to provide significant pain relief in as fast as 15 minutes. Studies have shown that Saridon is more effective than individual doses of ibuprofen, paracetamol, and aspirin.

Each Saridon tablet contains:

Paracetamol   (250 mg) - Paracetamol helps reduce fever and pain while providing long lasting relief.

Propyphenazone (150 mg) - Propyphenazone is an anti-inflammatory used to treat mild to moderate pain, like headaches, quickly.

Caffeine (50 mg) - Caffeine, when combined with other analgesics, improves their effects.

Paracetamol, Propyphenazone and Caffeine work together. Propyphenazone and Paracetamol are ingredients that provide pain relief. They complement each other well because Propyphenazone works quickly but loses its effect fast, while Paracetamol takes effect slowly but a has a longer lasting effect. The 3rd ingredient, Caffeine improves the effects of the other two ingredients. With it, the analgesics work better by 41%.

It is said that Saridon works faster and provides better pain relief than Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and Aspirin.

I read an article about Saridon written by Janette Toral in the Sunstar Cebu titled Toral : Drug Safety. The article is specifically about a medicine for headaches. As I continue my research on Saridon, here something caught my interest. True that this is an important matter for us all.  Saridon allegedly being unsafe, due to one of its ingredient, propyphenazone that may have side effects. Medicines should be restricted on specific cases.

There are countries like , Malaysia, Korea, Sri Lanka and Turkey, Saridon medicine which has Propyphenazone content is now banned.  But here in the Philippines, it's still available.

I have read articles with complains and worries about this medicine - Saridon. 

( Read this: http://www.duckyparedes.com/blogs/2010/07/20/mag-ingat-sa-saridon/) 

I searched for more thru Youtube. I will continue to find answers to our worries for our health.

I hope that Department of Health and Bayer provide us more information about the propyphenazone ban in other countries and why it's available in the Philippines. This is a public health matter.