Health and Lifestyle

2,000 indigent Manileños benefit from Turkish govt’s medical mission

2,000 indigent Manileños benefit from Turkish govt’s medical mission

November 29, 2017, 3:58 pm

MANILA – More than 2,000 indigents from Manila’s District 6 have received assistance during a medical mission held by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the city health department. Saturday’s "TIKAlusugan sa Maynila Medical Mission" was the fourth to be conducted by… Read More

WHO PH seeks stronger rules to increase road safety

WHO PH seeks stronger rules to increase road safety

November 29, 2017, 12:45 pm

MANILA – An official of World Health Organization (WHO) Philippines on Tuesday cited the need to strengthen the country’s road traffic safety system to bring down the number of deaths, injuries and disabilities from road accidents. "To reduce the number of road traffic deaths and injuries, a… Read More

Boxing Yoga coming to PH in 2018

Boxing Yoga coming to PH in 2018

November 29, 2017, 7:20 am

DAVAO CITY -- Boxing Yoga, which offers fighters a considered approach to explore coordination, body awareness and correct posture alignment, is coming to the Philippines in 2018. Heather Boyle, a certified Boxing Yoga coach in Los Angeles, California, will arrive next year together with boxing… Read More

FDA warns public vs fake drugs sold online

FDA warns public vs fake drugs sold online

November 28, 2017, 6:36 pm

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned the public against online purchase of medicines and other health products. Annette Tan, FDA-Mindanao West Cluster head, issued the warning as counterfeit drugs have continued to proliferate in the market. Tan advised the public to… Read More

JE vaccine for Makati gov’t employees, public school students

JE vaccine for Makati gov’t employees, public school students

November 28, 2017, 12:59 pm

MANILA – Makati’s city government on Monday launched its Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination for 60,000 city government employees and public school students. "According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, JE is the leading… Read More

PhilHealth premium increase set in January 2018

PhilHealth premium increase set in January 2018

November 27, 2017, 2:55 pm

*ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is set to increase its monthly premium starting January 2018 in an effort to boost the agency's health programs. Bryan Jabay, PhilHealth regional information officer, told the Philippine News Agency the increase is… Read More

Cavite health caravan treats 215 patients with skin diseases

Cavite health caravan treats 215 patients with skin diseases

November 23, 2017, 6:06 pm

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – Some 215 patients benefited from free skin consultations and medicines offered during a health caravan in Barangay Pasong Kawayan 1 here since Tuesday. The patients, who were afflicted with scabies, athlete’s foot, psoriasis, eczema, ringworm and other fungal… Read More

US tobacco firms run anti-smoking ads 11 years after court order

US tobacco firms run anti-smoking ads 11 years after court order

November 22, 2017, 4:24 pm

WASHINGTON -- Major tobacco companies will run newspaper and television advertisements in the United States starting this weekend -- not meant to promote smoking, but rather to tell the public about the deadly consequences of smoking. The tobacco companies are not running these ads voluntarily,… Read More

DOH, advocates hope mental health bill would soon be signed into law

DOH, advocates hope mental health bill would soon be signed into law

November 22, 2017, 11:49 am

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) and mental health advocates have expressed hope that the recent approval of the Comprehensive Mental Health bill by the House of Representatives would pave the way for its immediate signing into law. "We welcome this development as it shows that… Read More

Health group calls for 60% tobacco tax hike

Health group calls for 60% tobacco tax hike

November 22, 2017, 11:34 am

MANILA -- HealthJustice Philippines has urged legislators to increase the tax imposed on tobacco products by at least 60 percent in 2018, and at least 9 percent every year afterwards.  “We call on our legislators to seriously consider including tobacco tax in the Tobacco Tax Reform for… Read More

DOH open to adopting US' lower standard for hypertension

DOH open to adopting US' lower standard for hypertension

November 21, 2017, 7:41 pm

MANILA -- The Department of Health (DOH) is open to the possibility of adopting locally the lower level of high blood pressure that was set by the United States. "Nothing wrong with it," said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III, when asked about the recent BP adjustment in the US. "It's okay.… Read More

More than half of HIV population on treatment: UNAIDS

More than half of HIV population on treatment: UNAIDS

November 21, 2017, 12:57 pm

GENEVA -- Remarkable progress has been made on HIV treatment over the past 15 years, with about 57 percent of all the people worldwide living with HIV currently on treatment, according to UNAIDS' latest data on Monday. In 2000, just 685,000 people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral… Read More

Early childhood adversities linked to health problems in teens

Early childhood adversities linked to health problems in teens

November 21, 2017, 12:52 pm

CHICAGO -- A pathway in the brain seems to link exposure to adverse experiences during early childhood to depression and problems with physical health in teens and preteens, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found. The study involved 119 children aged 3 to 6… Read More

CBCP wants realignment of contraceptives budget

CBCP wants realignment of contraceptives budget

November 18, 2017, 8:48 pm

MANILA -- An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee (CBCP-PAC) said that the funds intended for buying pills and condoms should be aligned in helping poor Filipinos to have access to hospitals and other benefits. CBCP-PAC executive secretary Fr.… Read More

Duque plans to meet with Sotto on RH Law

Duque plans to meet with Sotto on RH Law

November 17, 2017, 4:38 pm

MANILA – Health Secretary Dr. Francisco Duque III said Thursday he would like to discuss the implementation of the Reproductive Health (RH) Law with Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, a staunch critic of the law. "I will get in touch with him (Sotto). We have to make our communication… Read More

Family planning products to be sent to RHUs soon: DOH

Family planning products to be sent to RHUs soon: DOH

November 17, 2017, 4:20 pm

MANILA -- Essential family planning commodities will be made available in rural health units (RHUs) across the country in the coming weeks, Health Secretary Dr. Francisco Duque III said Thursday. "The Department of Health (DOH) intends to cascade all the family planning commodities to civil… Read More

ASEAN adopts declaration to combat anti-microbial resistance

ASEAN adopts declaration to combat anti-microbial resistance

November 16, 2017, 3:56 pm

MANILA -- Leaders of ASEAN member states have adopted the Declaration on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) as an outcome of the 31st ASEAN Summit, the Department of Health (DOH) announced Wednesday. "With the political commitment to combat AMR gathered from the Heads of the ASEAN member states, the… Read More

ASEAN Declaration adoption to end malnutrition: DOH

ASEAN Declaration adoption to end malnutrition: DOH

November 16, 2017, 3:42 pm

MANILA – ASEAN leaders have agreed to address problems on malnutrition with their adoption of the Declaration on Ending All Forms of Malnutrition during the 31st ASEAN Summit. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Department of Health (DOH) said the declaration embodies the highest level of… Read More

DOH considers TRO on contraceptives lifted

DOH considers TRO on contraceptives lifted

November 15, 2017, 4:02 pm

MANILA – With the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) clearance of 51 contraceptives as non-abortifacient, the Department of Health (DOH) considers as lifted the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on subdermal implants, Implanon and Implanon NXT, an official said. "With the… Read More

Regular exercise staves off effects of brain aging

Regular exercise staves off effects of brain aging

November 14, 2017, 1:04 pm

SYDNEY -- Regular exercise can increase the size of the human brain, a landmark Australian study has found. The research, published by Australia's National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at Western Sydney University on Tuesday, revealed that aerobic exercise can significantly improve… Read More