Health and Lifestyle

Delays seen in delivery of donated bivalent vaccines

MANILA – There would be delays with the bivalent Covid-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility which are expected to arrive this month, a health official said Tuesday.“’Yung bivalent vaccines, medyo nagkakaroon lang tayo ng konting delays because alam naman ng ating mga kababayan,... Read More

86 more adolescents, kids positive with HIV in January: DOH

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has reported 86 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among adolescents and children in January.In its latest data registry released on Monday, the agency noted the tally is part of the 1,454 individuals who were confirmed with HIV during the... Read More

Massive efforts needed worldwide to reduce table salt intake

GENEVA – A World Health Organization (WHO) global report on sodium intake reduction shows that the planet is off-track to achieve its worldwide target of reducing by 30 percent consumption of the nutrient by 2025.Sodium is an essential nutrient but increases the risk of heart disease, stroke... Read More

PhilHealth offers family planning services among its benefits

MANILA – Filipinos may avail of permanent contraception procedures under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).In a news release on Sunday, PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. reminded its members and their dependents that several... Read More

Meds, therapy best cure for mental health conditions: expert

MANILA – The best treatment for mental health conditions is a combination of medication and therapy, a health expert said Friday.During an online media "Kapihan" forum, National Center for Mental Health medical specialist Rodney Boncajes said therapy helps in the full recovery of individuals... Read More

DOH targets 2.46M Bicolanos for health assessment, intervention

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Health in Bicol (DOH-5) is targeting a total of 2,460,994 residents of the region for health assessment through the Philippine Package for Essential Non-Communicable Diseases Interventions (PhilPEN) from March 1-31.In a Zoom conference on Monday, Dr. Monrey... Read More

Central Luzon logs over 400 HFMD cases, mostly kids

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – More than 400 residents, mostly children in Central Luzon have been infected with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).The Department of Health Central Luzon Center for Health Development (DOH CLCHD) said 408 HFMD cases were recorded from Jan. 1 to Feb. 4 with... Read More

NCR positivity rate went up to 1.7% as of Feb. 18

MANILA – The positivity rate or the number of people tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the National Capital Region (NCR) increased to 1.7 percent as of Feb. 18.Over Twitter, OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David said on Monday the increase is... Read More

NegOr’s dengue cases still rising: health official

DUMAGUETE CITY – The number of dengue cases in Negros Oriental continues to rise although no deaths have so far been reported.Acting Provincial Health Officer Dr. Liland Estacion said Friday the latest morbidity report showed 161 cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 11.This is 96 percent higher compared... Read More

1 more death logged as gastro cases continue to spiral in Negros

DUMAGUETE CITY – The Negros Oriental Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported on Friday one new death and more cases of suspected acute gastroenteritis in the province’s northernmost town of Vallehermoso amid efforts to contain the water-borne and food-borne disease.Acting Provincial... Read More

DOH to reduce malaria cases in Palawan to zero by 2026

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) is aiming to reduce malaria cases in Palawan to zero by 2026.“We want to focus our programs in Palawan, which is a province with remaining active cases, so in 2026, we would like Palawan to reduce its malaria cases to zero,” DOH Standards and... Read More

XBB.1.5 possible to become dominant variant in PH: expert

MANILA – The XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron, which is a mutation of the BA.2, could be a dominant variant in the country, a health official said Thursday. “I think it will be especially now that during the first month of January, the WHO [World Health Organization] reports that the top... Read More

PH logs 924 new cases of Omicron subvariants

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) has detected 924 new cases of the highly-transmissible Omicron subvariants.In its latest Covid-19 biosurveillance report, the agency noted that there were 1,078 samples sequenced by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the University of the... Read More

PH to receive add'l 300K doses of bivalent Covid-19 vaccines

MANILA – The country is expected to receive over 300,000 doses of bivalent Covid-19 vaccines apart from the COVAX Facility’s donation of one million doses.“Meron pang isang bansa (There is another country) which we could not name for now because the agreements are being finalized... Read More

DOH studies data collection, management of 'long Covid' cases

MANILA-- The Department of Health (DOH) is studying how it can manage cases and collect data about patients who experience "long Covid", a health official said Tuesday.In a media briefing, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency recognizes the presence of long Covid -- described... Read More

All provinces except Palawan malaria-free: DOH

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday reported that all provinces in the country have achieved malaria-free status except for Palawan.The department aims to achieve the malaria-free status by 2030.“Just this 2022, meron tayong apat na bagong areas na dineclare na... Read More

Daily average of new Covid-19 infections down by 16%

MANILA–The country’s daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases has decreased by 16 percent from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday.In its latest case bulletin, the DOH noted the daily infections decreased to 145 in the recent week from... Read More

NCR logs lowest Covid count since March 2020 with 17 new cases

MANILA–The National Capital Region (NCR) logged 17 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as of Feb. 5, the lowest since March 20, 2020.“This is the lowest in the NCR since March 20, 2020. The 7-day average dipped to 46 cases per day,” said OCTA Research Group fellow, Dr.... Read More

Leveled-up health center to offer more services in Davao Oro town

COMPOSTELA, Davao de Oro – Residents in this town as well as in neighboring municipalities will soon enjoy free and better services as officials broke ground for Davao de Oro’s third "super health center" (SHC) in Barangay Maparat here on Saturday afternoon.Dr. Anabelle Yumang,... Read More

Smoking hikes risk of coronary heart disease, sudden death

MANILA – Smoking increases a person’s risk of having coronary heart disease and sudden death, health experts said Friday.“Smoking associated with two to four-fold increase in the risk of coronary heart disease, a greater than 70 percent excess rate of death from coronary heart... Read More