The provincial government here will adjust the direction of its health program to include non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. likened to climate change, a lingering condition that can cause natural disasters.

“This is actually one of the most serious problems in the area of health. It does not get our attention every day. We want to have an adjustment in our direction. With the World Health Organization and the DOH (Department of Health), we want to give more attention every day,” Defensor said in a press conference to launch Phase 3 of the Healthy Hearts Program at the Casa Real in Iloilo City on Wednesday.

WHO Philippines Country Representative Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, in the same press conference, cited DOH statistics showing that 70 percent of deaths in the country were due to non-communicable diseases.

“The important thing for all of you to know is that almost all non-communicable diseases are preventable. That’s the bottom line why we launch(ed) this program,” de Jesus said.

Defensor said the 70 percent mortality is very serious and can be considered at the level of a national emergency.

“The way we see it we should deal with it like climate change. Everybody is talking about climate change when we talk about the environment. We want to give the same treatment when we talk about NCD,” he added.

Meanwhile, 16 additional towns from the province are recipients of technical assistance that would enhance their management of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) under Phase 3 of the program, which was piloted in the first district of Iloilo in 2021.

DOH Western Visayas Center for Health Development Director Adriano Suba-an said the expansion is eyed to further improve the service delivery of NCD-related diseases in health facilities, such as detection and control, creation of local government programs, and continuous assessment of risk factors to the community.

Barangay health workers are trained to do simple blood pressure tests.

Those who are hypertensive are provided with maintenance medicines and given a follow-up check-up by health workers.

The expansion will be implemented in the municipalities of Mina, New Lucena, Zarraga, Dueñas, San Enrique, Anilao, Banate, Ajuy, Concepcion, Lemery, Batad, Carles, Badiangan, Janiuay, Lambunao, and Alimodian.

Almost 25,000 of the population of the first district were tested for hypertension.

“As of now, 80 percent of the patients with hypertension exhibited controlled blood pressure,” Suba-an said. (PNA)