WHO in The Philippines-Brochure-Eng
WHO in The Philippines-Brochure-Eng
1.
for WHO collaboration
with the Philippines, 2017–2022
SAVE LIVES
Ensure full access to immediate-impact
interventions
1.
2.
3.
on health and development
Filipinos born today can expect to live for more than 68 years
Leading causes of death are heart and vascular diseases, cancer, pneumonia,
diabetes, injuries, chronic lower-respiratory diseases and tuberculosis
4. Only 70% of children were fully immunized in 2015 due to vaccine stock-outs
5. Malnutrition: 30% of children are stunted, 31% of adults are overweight or obese
9. More than 50% of all health expenditures are paid out of pocket
❚ Zika, dengue, chikungunya ❚ HIV, TB, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, hepatitis
❚ Maternal and child health ❚ Vaccination
Eliminating TB – The Philippines is one of nine high-burden countries that reached the 2015
Millennium Development Goal target for tuberculosis (TB). Yet in 2015, an estimated 322 000 people
were infected with TB, and 44 000 people died from the disease. In 2016, the Philippines boosted
its TB response through legislation to eliminate TB. Guided by WHO, the Philippines is introducing
interventions such as systematic screening, rapid molecular testing and short regimens against
drug-resistant TB.
PRIORITY 2.
PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Empower people to lead healthy lives and enjoy responsive
health services
A 20% reduction in smoking in five years – The Philippines has put in place comprehensive tobacco-
control measures, including taxation, smoking bans, graphic health warnings, bans on tobacco
advertisements, promotion and sponsorship, and cessation programmes. The unprecedented one
fifth decrease in the smoking rate between 2009 and 2015 shows these measures work. Yet, still
one in four adults smoke, and WHO will continue to help the Philippines fully implement the WHO
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
PRIORITY 3.
PROTECT HEALTH
Anticipate and mitigate disasters, and environmental
and emerging health threats
❚ Disaster preparedness and response ❚ Clean air, safe water, safe food
❚ Climate change ❚ Antimicrobial resistance
The Philippines, first country with AMR plan – In 2014, the Philippines became the first country
in Asia with a plan to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It has been implementing the plan
by improving AMR control in hospitals, influencing prescription and dispensing practices, and
strengthening AMR surveillance. The Philippines is now a regional leader in addressing AMR as a
threat to health security, and WHO has supported the response at every step along the way.
PRIORITY 4.
OPTIMIZE THE HEALTH SYSTEM
Overcome a fragmented structure to achieve universal health coverage
Networking for maternal health in the Davao Region – A health system approach led to a 60%
decline in maternal deaths over three years in 10 project sites in the Davao Region, where WHO
and the Department of Health work together with local governments. The approach combines
community engagement, capacity-building and creating demand for maternal and child health
services. WHO is now supporting the Department of Health to develop a toolkit for similar services
nationwide.
PRIORITY 5.
USE PLATFORMS FOR HEALTH
Support health in all settings, policies and sectors
❚ Healthy taxation and laws ❚ Healthy cities and schools ❚ Road safety and injuries
❚ Global health
Working across sectors to prevent road traffic crashes and drowning deaths – Road crashes and
drowning are among leading causes of injury-related deaths in the Philippines, claiming some
12 500 lives annually. Reducing deaths and serious injuries relies largely on actions outside the
health sector. WHO has reached out to various sectors to develop road safety legislation that
is consistent with global evidence and standards. WHO also supports multisectoral action and
community-based models on drowning prevention.
WHO WE ARE
The Office of the WHO Representative in the Philippines, also known as the WHO country
office, is located at the Department of Health compound. It is the entry point to WHO
expertise across the three levels of the Organization: the country office, the Regional Office
for the Western Pacific and WHO headquarters. As the United Nations lead agency on health,
WHO is part of the United Nations Country Team.
Subnational Initiative
in the Davao Office
OUR PARTNERS
The Department of Health is WHO’s primary partner in the Philippines. We strive
to maintain a close dialogue with all health stakeholders, notably civil society
organizations, academia, public health practitioners, development partners and the
private sector.
Engage in global health with us! Visit us in our office and online.
© World Health Organization 2017 – Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO licence. Photo credits: ©WHO/Yoshi Shimizu