Health and Lifestyle

DOH urges parents to get kids vaxxed vs. measles, polio

DOH urges parents to get kids vaxxed vs. measles, polio

May 2, 2023, 6:08 pm

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Health Central Luzon Center for Health Development (DOH CLCHD) on Tuesday called on parents to fully protect their children against diseases that can be prevented by immunization. DOH CLCHD Regional Director Corazon Flores, during the kick-off… Read More

1st batch of bivalent jabs expected in May: DOH

1st batch of bivalent jabs expected in May: DOH

May 2, 2023, 5:32 pm

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) is expecting 390,000 doses of bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines to arrive in the country by the end of this month. In a media forum on Tuesday, DOH officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire reported that they have acquired the emergency… Read More

Positivity rate not good basis to determine real Covid situation

Positivity rate not good basis to determine real Covid situation

May 2, 2023, 4:54 pm

MANILA – The positivity rate or the number of people testing positive for coronavirus is not a good basis in determining the real picture of the country’s Covid-19 situation. In a media briefing on Tuesday, Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire noted that the… Read More

Immunization prevents up to 5M deaths every year: WHO official

Immunization prevents up to 5M deaths every year: WHO official

April 29, 2023, 9:54 am

ANKARA – Immunization currently prevents between 3.5 million and 5 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles, said a World Health Organization (WHO) official. On the occasion of World Immunization Week, Batyr Berdyklychev, WHO Türkiye… Read More

Bacolod urged to step up prevention of measles, polio outbreak

Bacolod urged to step up prevention of measles, polio outbreak

April 28, 2023, 7:52 pm

BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) has urged the city government here to step up efforts to prevent measles-rubella and polio outbreak after registering a low immunization rate among children under a year old in the previous year. DOH-6 Regional Director Adriano… Read More

Residents of remote Albay areas get access to PhilHealth services

Residents of remote Albay areas get access to PhilHealth services

April 25, 2023, 7:21 pm

LEGAZPI CITY – Residents of far-flung communities in Albay province are now able to avail of services from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. in Bicol (PhilHealth-5) without having to travel to this city after the agency recently opened a satellite service desk in Libon town. In a phone… Read More

UN deeply concerned over decline in childhood vaccination

UN deeply concerned over decline in childhood vaccination

April 21, 2023, 12:56 pm

GENEVA – Expressing deep concerns over a decline in confidence in childhood vaccines, the United Nations (UN) said public perception of the importance of childhood vaccines has declined across Europe and Central Asia since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. A new report by UNICEF on Thursday… Read More

Tarlac City soon to have own hospital

Tarlac City soon to have own hospital

April 20, 2023, 8:25 pm

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Tarlac City Mayor Cristy Angeles on Thursday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Tarlac City General Hospital located in Barangay Binauganan. Angeles said it is her dream to provide a hospital that would address the health and medical… Read More

Bicol theater groups to showcase nat'l issues in 16 plays

Bicol theater groups to showcase nat'l issues in 16 plays

April 20, 2023, 8:21 pm

LEGAZPI CITY – Laughter, giggles, tears, anguish, sighs, trepidation. These are some of the emotions expected to fill the air as Pista Nin Teatrong Bikolnon announced on Thursday its in-person performances in various places in Legazpi City. In a press conference at Pasakalye Black Box Art… Read More

Utilization rate among hospitals 'manageable' amid case hike

Utilization rate among hospitals 'manageable' amid case hike

April 20, 2023, 5:00 pm

MANILA – The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPi) on Thursday said the utilization rate among private hospitals remains “manageable” despite the rise of Covid-19 cases in some regions. In a televised public briefing, PHAPi President Dr. Jose de Grano noted that admissions… Read More

Palawan not yet malaria-free: DOH

Palawan not yet malaria-free: DOH

April 18, 2023, 5:20 pm

MANILA – Around 95 barangays in Palawan are not yet declared free from malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. In a media forum on Tuesday, Department of Health Officer in Charge Maria… Read More

DOH: Oil, grease found in Puerto Galera waters

DOH: Oil, grease found in Puerto Galera waters

April 18, 2023, 4:33 pm

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday advised the public to refrain from occupational and recreational water activities in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro as oil and grease contaminants have been found in several areas. Only nine out of 35 sampling stations in the municipality and… Read More

2nd Covid-19 booster shot guidelines for healthy adults signed

2nd Covid-19 booster shot guidelines for healthy adults signed

April 18, 2023, 3:18 pm

MANILA – The guidelines on the administration of the second booster of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines for the general population have been signed. The vaccines to be used as second booster shots are AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer. “We already signed the guidelines nitong isang… Read More

Spain performs 1st fully robotic lung transplant

Spain performs 1st fully robotic lung transplant

April 18, 2023, 1:52 pm

GENEVA – A hospital in Spain has successfully performed the first fully robotic lung transplant through a small incision. Albert Jauregui, the head of the Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplant Service of Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, shared the details of the pioneering technique on Monday… Read More

NCR positivity rate rises to 7.2% as of April 15

NCR positivity rate rises to 7.2% as of April 15

April 17, 2023, 2:26 pm

MANILA – The positivity rate or the number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the National Capital Region (NCR) increased to 7.2 percent as of April 15. Over Twitter, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said Monday the percentage is a “slight“… Read More

People living with HIV in PH to double by 2030

People living with HIV in PH to double by 2030

April 14, 2023, 6:27 pm

MANILA – The number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) nationwide is expected to double this year, reaching 364,000 cases. In a media forum on Friday, Department of Health National HIV Surveillance Officer Noel Palaypayon said a downward trend in the number of HIV… Read More

WHO turns 75; ensures resilient health systems in W. Pacific

WHO turns 75; ensures resilient health systems in W. Pacific

April 14, 2023, 4:48 pm

MANILA – The World Health Organization (WHO) is focusing on building resilient health systems for universal health coverage in the Western Pacific region as it marks its 75th founding anniversary. In a media forum Friday, WHO Western Pacific Acting Regional Director Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab said… Read More

PH logs 39 new cases of Omicron XBB.1.91

PH logs 39 new cases of Omicron XBB.1.91

April 14, 2023, 1:53 pm

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has detected 39 more cases of Omicron XBB.1.91 subvariant, an XBB sublineage. In its latest surveillance report, the DOH said the subvariant was added to the list of variants under monitoring by the World Health Organization on March 30. “The variant… Read More

PH logs 188% rise in leptospirosis cases

PH logs 188% rise in leptospirosis cases

April 13, 2023, 5:03 pm

MANILA – A total of 1,015 leptospirosis cases have been recorded nationwide from Jan. 1 to March 18 this year, a 188 percent increase from the 353 cases during the same period in 2022. The Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau (DOH-EB) surveillance report showed that Western Visayas logged… Read More

DOH: Guidelines on 2nd booster for general public being finalized

DOH: Guidelines on 2nd booster for general public being finalized

April 12, 2023, 6:27 pm

MANILA – The administration of the second booster shot of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines for the general public would be implemented soon, a health official said Wednesday. “Ang atin pong ibibigay ay second boosters para sa mga healthy adults, ‘yun pong mga 18 years old and… Read More