Health workers in Lanao Sur get AH1N1 vaccines

Islamic City of Marawi (27 April) -- The Department of Health (DOH) through the Lanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) started conducting vaccinations against A(H1N1) for frontline health workers in the province.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Alinader D. Minalang revealed during the provincial launching and orientation on A(H1N1) vaccination that their office has received an allocation of 1,257 vials or 12,570 shots of the vaccines.

He said the vaccines will be administered on frontline health workers who have potential exposure to A(H1N1) patients.

Minalang further said the next in the priority list are those high-risk groups which includes pregnant women, children six (6) months to five (5) years old, those 60 years old and above, and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, asthma and other chronic conditions,

He also stressed the need to prioritize those who will get the vaccination because of the limited supply of vaccines.

After the priority groups, A(H1N1) vaccination will hopefully be administered to other vulnerable sectors such as those constituents coming from abroad, he added.

"The A(H1N1) vaccines are given free of charge and administered on a voluntary basis so high-risk individuals can refuse to get the vaccines," Minalang said.

However, he calls all the constituents of the province to avail of the vaccines to ensure immunity against A(H1N1).

"They can go to the designated health centers and hospitals in their respective towns to avail of the free vaccines," he further said.

The provincial launching and orientation is part of the nationwide campaign of the DOH to reduce the impact of pandemic H1N1 virus infections within the country.

The DOH campaign aims to protect the health infrastructure and health care system of the country against pandemic H1N1 virus infections.

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40 Botika ng Barangay outlets now operate in Lanao Sur - IPHO

Islamic City of Marawi (27 April) -- The Lanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) disclosed that 40 Botika ng Barangay (BnB) are now operating all over the province as of April 26, this year.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Alinader D. Minalang said the IPHO is continuously pursuing programs to reduce the impact of high-priced medicines.

He said the IPHO is targeting to have one BnB for every three (3) to five (5) nearby barangays.

According to Minalang, a BnB is put up in a barangay with P25, 000 worth of medicines as initial capital. He said trainings for the establishment and operations of BnB are also conducted to assist BnB operators.

The Botika ng Barangay is a one of the program of the government to ensure the availability of low-priced but high quality medicines to the people, especially the poor.

Moreover, the PHO further stressed that they are conducting monitoring activities together with the Department of Health in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) to determine if pharmacies and drugstores in the province are strictly complying with the Cheaper Medicines Law.

"With the help of DOH-ARMM, we are closely monitoring pharmacies and drugstores if they are complying with the cheaper medicines law," he said.

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ARMM nutrition council to organize provincial, municipal nutrition committees

Islamic City of Marawi (27 April) -- The newly established regional nutrition council of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) plans to create provincial and municipal nutrition committee to strengthen the nutrition program of the region.

The plan was disclosed by Nutrition Coordinator Nelia Sarap of Lanao del Sur ? Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) during a press conference held recently at the IPHO.

She said the newly established regional nutrition council has identified series of capability building activities, two (2) of which were already accomplished.

The first was the training on nutrition program management where the need to go down to the provincial and municipal level through the organization of provincial and municipal nutrition committees was agreed, the Nutrition Coordinator said.

The capability building activities formed part of the agreement of the Department of Health in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC).

The agreement provides for the creation of NNC in the region under the DOH that will formulate relevant region-specific nutrition policies, guidelines and other instruments to ensure that the planning and implementation of the provincial, city, municipal and barangay nutrition programs are consistent with the national nutrition policy and program framework.

The MOA was inked last month in the town of Lumbatan, Lanao del Sur with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessing the signing.

In a related development, Dr. Alinader Minalang revealed that the IPHO has covered a substantial number of children afforded with package of services which consisted of Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, and proper knowledge on maternal and child health care during the conduct of the Garantisadong Pambata (GP) program.

The PHO further said that they are also promoting the use of alternative or herbal medicines such as malungay and lagundi to improve the health condition of their constituents.

It is important to prevent diseases than to treat them that is why we need to invest in preventive medicines because they are more effective and economical, Minalang stressed.

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Civil society groups join Earth Day celebration

Islamic City of Marawi (23 April) -- Civil Society Organizations here in the city took part in the 40th anniversary celebration of Earth Day reaffirming their commitment in protecting and preserving the environment.

Kalimudan Foundation, Inc. (KFI), Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM) of the Mindanao State University, Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative (LASURECO), 350 Ranaw, and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society joined together in a parade early morning around the city in celebration of Earth Day.

They also picked up litter along their way to "Kilometer Zero" where they conducted a massive clean-up drive.

"Kilometer Zero" is a significant landmark from where all distances in Mindanao are measured.

Every 22nd of April is marked as Earth Day by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1481.

This year's Earth Day celebration revolved around the theme, "Hamon ng Panahon. Climate Change. 10 Milyung Solusyon (Kilos Na! Ngayon Na!)". It aimed to raise public awareness on the ways to mitigate climate change.

It also underscored the vital role of the people in saving and protecting the environment

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ARMM inks MOU with WFP for Food-for-Assets program implementation

Cagayan de Oro City (22 April) -- Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Acting Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the implementation of the Food-for-Assets Program in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. 

The Food-for-Assets program seeks to restore and rehabilitate small-scale agricultural infrastructure in poor and food-insecure areas in Central Mindanao through food-for-work and food-for-training. 

It will improve farmers' productivity through the provision of food in exchange for labor on projects such as irrigation schemes, farm-to-market roads, communal gardening and tree planting. 

Food will also be allocated to support relevant skills training in agriculture. The WFP will provide about 9,700 metric tons of rice and 970 metric tons of beans for work and training to some 1.1 million people from smallholder farming communities. 

WFP Country Director Stephen Anderson said they are extremely encouraged by the ongoing collaboration with the ARMM government for the improvement of household food security in the two (2) ARMM provinces. 

According to Anderson, improving food production will mean both better nutrition and a better standard of living for the poor, many of whom remain chronically food-insecure. 

"Our focus will be on increasing crop production through the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes, storage facilities and feeder roads," he added.

The Food-for-Assets program is a project funded by the European Union (EU) through its "?1 Billion Food Facility". 

The EU Food Facility aims to encourage a positive response from the agricultural sector in targeted countries, to respond rapidly and directly to mitigate the negative effects of volatile food prices on local populations and to strengthen the productive capacities and the governance of the agricultural sector to enhance the sustainability of interventions. 

The EU-funded food-for-assets activities are being rolled out in targeted food-insecure communities in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. 

"We are also extremely grateful for the generous support from the European Union for this programme which benefits over a million people from poor farming communities in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao," the WFP Country Director further said. 

Since 2006, Food-for-Assets projects in Mindanao have created or rehabilitated important infrastructure such as solar crop dryers, small-scale irrigation and access roads. 

Women have also benefited from literacy training, from support in using improved seed varieties and from effective parenting classes. 

Moreover, the WFP has succeeded in increasing and sustaining school attendance and increasing the number of women and their children making use of maternal and child health services. (WFP/PIA-Marawi City)

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