Comment the following post. Substantive comments should be scholarly, probing, e
ID: 127501 • Letter: C
Question
Comment the following post. Substantive comments should be scholarly, probing, extend the conversation by beginning a dialogue, and continue exploring the concepts
The Philippine Health System
According to the 2015 World Health Statistics, for every 100,000 people in the Philippines, they had 227 deaths due to communicable diseases, 720 deaths due to non-communicable diseases, and 54 deaths caused by injuries (The World Fact Book). This shows that more than three times more deaths are due to long-term medical issues such as cardiovascular disease than by communicable diseases which are much more dangerous for the population.
Among children less than five years old, diseases that caused death in 2012 are Diarrhea at 7%, respiratory infections at 17%, prematurity at 17%, intrapartum-related complications at 12%, neonatal sepsis at 7%, congenital anomalies at 13%, other diseases at 18%, and death from injuries at 9% (The World Fact Book). These statistics show that most children that die before the age of five years old are dying from complications at birth. The deaths from being born premature and from intrapartum-related complications make up 29% of the deaths for this age group. If the Philippines leaders were looking to make a significant impact on the health of this age group, investing in education and resources regarding pregnancy and birth would be the best method (Skolnik, R., 2016).
In 2012, the cause-specific mortality rate for every 100,000 people in the Philippines is made up of 27 deaths due to Tuberculosis in HIV negative people, 292 deaths due to Tuberculosis in all of the population, and 24 deaths due to Malaria. The prevalence of Tuberculosis in the Philippines went from 775 cases for every 100,000 people in 2000 to 438 cases for every 100,000 people in 2012 (The World Fact Book). The World Health Statistics do not provide any data for the number of deaths due to HIV during those years, but according to Carlos Conde with the Human Rights Watch, the HIV infection rate in the Philippines was declared a national emergency in 2017 (Conde,C.H., 2017). Tuberculosis is a common disease among HIV infected individuals (Luetkemeyer, A., 2013), so when the Tuberculosis statistics are combined with the HIV national emergency, it is clear that the Philippines has an HIV crisis.
Selected Infectious Diseases:
According to the 2015 World Health Statistics, in 2013 there were 1,729 cases of Leprosy, 6,514 cases of Malaria, 2,920 cases of Measles, 1,069 cases of Tetanus, and an overwhelming 229,918 cases of Tuberculosis (The World Fact Book). As stated above, the statistics regarding the enormous number of Tuberculosis cases continues to demonstrate the HIV crisis affecting the Philippines. In 2016, 83% of the new HIV infections occurred among homosexuals and transgenders (Conde,C.H., 2017). A strong public relations push to educate this population could have a significant impact on the crisis the Philippines are currently facing (Skolnik, R., 2016).
Health Service Coverage:
According to the 2015 World Health Statistics, from 2007 to 2013, 19% of the women who do not want to have a child are not using contraception, and only 49% of couples are using contraception. From 2007 to 2014, only 73% of the births in the Philippines were attended by skilled health personnel. Finally, in 2013, 90% of 1 year olds were immunized for Measles (The World Fact Book). As mentioned above, 29% of deaths among children less than five years old were a result of premature birth and intrapartum-related complications. When you combine this statistic with the fact that 27% of births are not attended by skilled health personnel, it becomes apparent why so many deaths are occurring during pregnancy.
Health Systems:
No information was provided by the 2015 World Health Statistics regarding the density of physicians, nurses, midwifes, and dentists in the Philippines. However, outside resources, have reported that in 2004 there were only 1.15 physicians, nurses, and midwifes for every 1000 people in the Philippines (CIA World Fact Book, 2015). Additionally, in 2004, there were only .6 dentists for every 1000 people in the Philippines (World Data Atlas, 2004). According to the World Health Organization, any measurement of physicians, nurses, and midwifes below 2.3 for every 1000 people is not adequate to achieve coverage of a country’s healthcare needs. This information provides more insight into the reason behind the lack of births attended by skilled health personnel.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, in 2013, there were 12.2 hospital beds for every 10,000 people. The cause for this shortage is likely tied to the lack of skilled health providers (Philippine Statistics Authority Databank and Information Services Division, 2015).
Health Expenditure:
The 2015 World Health Statistics show that in 2012, 4.4% of GDP was spent on health care. It also shows that in 2000, 47.6% of the total amount spent on healthcare was from the government. This amount saw a significant reduction in 2012 to 30.4%. This reduction is likely due to the dramatic increase in private expenditure on health care which was 52.4% in 2000 and 69.6% in 2012. The per capital total expenditure on health care went from $33 in 2000 to $115 in 2012. The per capita government expenditure on health care rose from $16 in 2000 to $35 in 2012 (The World Fact Book). These statistics show that the Philippine government began to invest much more finances towards health care from 2000 to 2012; over double the amount in 12 years. The statistics also show that the private sector began to spend more on healthcare during those years. While it appears that the Philippines is on the rise in finances spent on healthcare, the statistic that they only spent 4.4% of GDP in 2012 shows that they still have room for improvement.
The Philippines has developed to the point where both rich and poor citizens have access to health care (McBride,M.). The public hospitals provide free care to citizens, but the private hospitals offer better facilities and technology. This means that those citizens with greater financial means will have access to the better facilities, but the quality of the medical personnel is essentially equal between the private and public health care providers (Allianzworldwidecare).
In the Philippine society, people who are experiencing illnesses will typically go to family and friends for assistance first. They will then attempt to find a remedy without consulting a doctor. If the sickness persists and has a significant effect on their life then they will usually consult with a doctor for a remedy.
Explanation / Answer
Health status has improved melodramatically in the Philippines over the previous forty years: infant mortality has dropped by two thirds, the prevalence of communicable diseases has tumbled and life anticipation has augmented to over 70 years. However, substantial injustices in health care admission and results between socio-economic collections continue. A main driver of unfairness is the high price of retrieving and using health care. The Philippines has had a nationwide fitness insurance activity named PhilHealth subsequently from 1995 and incrementally augmented populace reporting, but the partial breadth and complexity of attention has caused in high heights of out of pocket expenditures.
In July 2010 a main improvement exertion intended at attaining ‘worldwide coverage’ was hurled, which absorbed on cumulative the amount of poor relations registered in PhilHealth, given that a more all-inclusive welfares bundle and plummeting or removing copayments. Inviting and absorbent staff in under-served parts is key test. The Philippines is a chief exporter of health labors, yet some rural and poor zones still look critical lacks. Incompetence in service distribution perseveres as patient recommendation system and gatekeeping do not effort healthy. Consecutive improvement labors in sponsoring, service delivery and directive have tried to challenge these and other disorganizations and disparities in the health organization. But application has been dared by the dispersed setting and the attendance of a big private subdivision, often making disintegration and difference in the excellence of facilities crossways the country.