Infant mortality rate in Cebu declines, DOH 7 reports
by Amor Saludar
CEBU CITY October 10 (PIA) -- Infant mortality rate in Cebu is lesser compared to other regions with only six to seven cases against 1,000 live births in 2010 or equivalent to less than one percent last year, according to the Department of Health (DOH) – 7.
DOH -7 Regional Director Dr. Susana Madarieta attributed the decline in infant mortality rate to government’s health programs including ‘Garantisadong Pambata’ (GP) Program as one of the major factors in improving the health status of infants.
The GP Program whose basic objective is to reduce the mortality of children aged five years old and below through the provision of comprehensive health services such as immunization on Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV), Diphtheria Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT), Baccilli, Calmett and Guerin (BCG) and Vitamin A supplementation.
Health interventions are also given emphasis under the GP Program including skilled attendance during pregnancy, delivery, and immediate post partum; care of newborn breastfeeding and complementary feeding; micronutrient supplementation and deworming.
Madarieta once again reminded and advised mothers to continue breastfeeding their babies exclusively for six months old. “Mothers can even continue breastfeeding their babies until two years old for them to build a healthy immune system,” the DOH-7 director bared.
According to Madarieta, common diseases that mostly caused child mortality are diarrhea, influenza, pneumonia and some other diseases that are the effects of climate change.
“In general infant health status in Cebu is improving. But we should not take this for granted because of climate change which also affects our immune system,” Madarieta said.
Even if child mortality rate has declined in Cebu, Madarieta said mothers and caregivers must continue to be vigilant in checking the health status of their children, and to always avail of the health services offered by the government. (FCR/AS/PIA-Cebu).
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About 3T Cebuanos to join the Oct. 12
“Moonwalk: A Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness”
By Fayette C. Riñen
‘in observance of Breast CA Awareness Month this October”
CEBU CITY, Oct. 10 (PIA) -- An estimated 3,000 people in Cebu will join in the 8th annual “Moonwalk: A Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness” on Wednesday, October 12 in observance of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October.
Initiated by the Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC) of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), the Moonwalk is a unique advocacy campaign held every full moon of October aimed to promote the importance of observing monthly breast self-examination for women aged 20 and beyond.
“We hold Moonwalk during a full moon and Oct. 12 is when the moon is at its fullest this month. Full moon, because it is symbolically linked to the woman,” Ronald delos Reyes, program coordinator of EJACC, said.
The activity is also a campaign to get more people to be aware on the importance of early cancer detection and prevention and at the same time, it is a tribute to the victims and survivors of breast cancer, according to RAFI.
According to the Cebu population-based Cancer Registry of RAFI, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Cebuano women.
From 1993 to 2007, the EJACC recorded a total of 3,005 reported breast cancer cases in Metro Cebu.
The EJACC found a continuous increase of breast cancer incidence in Metro Cebu over the past 10 years, caused by lifestyle and health-related factors, this is said.
Participants to the Moonwalk will assemble on the lot beside Pag-Ibig Fund Tower in Cebu Business Park at 5 p.m. and “since Oct. 12 is a weekday, we would like to inform the public of a possible traffic congestion that might happen on that day from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.,” Delos Reyes, said.
At 5:30 p.m., participants will walk to The Walk in Asiatown I.T. Park, passing by Archbishop Reyes Avenue. From there, participants will form a pink human ribbon while a short program and Pink Rock Concert will follow.
Moonwalk is open to the public as RAFI encouraged participants to wear pink shirts. (PIA-Cebu with RAFI NR)
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CV lacks juvenile rehab centers
by: Minerva BC Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS, Oct. 9 (PIA) -- Several non-government organizations in Cebu aired their concerns on the dire need of juvenile rehabilitation centers in Central Visayas as they noted the rise of juvenile offenders in the region.
DSWD-7 child welfare and specialist, Emma Patalinghug noted that in Region 7, only Cebu City, Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental and Tagbilaran City in Bohol have centers for juvenile offenders or Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL).
Patalinghug pointed out that the law requires every local government unit to establish a juvenile center. She aid this during the Sept. 24 episode of Pagtuki, the radio program of RAFI aired every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. over dyLA.
Lawyer Cheryl Cabutihan, Child's Rights Protection Unit project coordinator of Children's Legal Bureau (CLB) also added that the government needs to address first the lack of juvenile centers in the Philippines before amending the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006.
“We need to check if we have complied with international standards, including putting up the right juvenile centers,” Cabutihan stated.
How could we say that the law (Juvenile Justice Act of 2006) did not work when we did not even give a chance for CICLs to be rehabilitated through juvenile centers? Cabutihan was also guest during the Pagtuki program.
Gio (not his real name), 15, wants to pursue his dream of becoming a security guard in order to help his family.
For now, Gio, with the other children in conflict with the law are focusing their energy on the activities under the recovery program of Bidlisiw Foundation, a Cebu-based social development non-government organization (NGO) that help children who are in conflict with the law, who experienced corporal punishments and substance abuse.
The Bidlisiw Foundation, in partnership with the Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) are actively involved in organizing child and family healing programs designed to put juvenile delinquents on the right track.
According to the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD-7) NGOs like the Bidlisiw
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IACAT visits 3 centers of DSWD-7
CEBU CITY, October 9 (PIA) --- A team from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (IACAT) led by Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar of the Department of Justice (DOJ) came to Central Visayas recently along with other members from the different government agencies and sectoral representatives to visit three facilities namely: Her Space, The Haven, and Home for Girls, operated and maintained by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) in the region.
In his inspirational message, Usec Salazar said, the visit was part of their mandate to coordinate and conduct massive information dissemination on trafficking in persons (TIP); formulate comprehensive and integrated program for the prevention and protection of trafficked persons; prosecution of traffickers; and formulation of programs which will also focus on reintegration of trafficked persons.
Lately, the various centers and institutions of the DSWD-7 have been visited by several other institutions and has became a show window of the rehabilitation as well as intervention programs for trafficked cases.
Starting 2010 to September this year, DSWD-7 has so far reached out and assisted 436 cases related to human trafficking.
Of this number, 75 are children and 361 are adults . Most of these minors or 67 of them are trafficked for sexual exploitation, three (3) victims of cybersex, and five (5) victims of forced labor.
Majority are females who came from other provinces and only 8 of them are males.
With the visit, IACAT hopes to improve the monitoring system and observe the incidence of human trafficking within territorial jurisdiction and allocate more funds for anti trafficking efforts.
The said visit will also ensure smooth operation between its members in its fight against human trafficking.
After a brief interaction with the victims themselves, IACAT members had lunch with the wards and gave away some goodies including P40,000.00 cash which the children and women can use for their different socio cultural activities.