Davao del Norte is making great strides in joining the country’s commitment to the millennium development goals (MDGs) of mitigating child mortality and improving maternal health, among other aims, by 2015.
Health officials cited the improved performance of the province in delivering maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition (MNCHN) services, during the first Provincial Health Summit held last September 15 at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan, Tagum City.
City and municipal mayors, provincial-city-municipal health officers and health committee chairpersons of local councils were on hand to discuss critical issues and strategic interventions needed to address gaps and align health priorities, towards achieving health-related MDGs and improving access to quality health services.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Agapito Hornido said more pregnant women and newborns received safe pregnancy, safe delivery and postpartum care services, among other interventions, since Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario put a high premium on health.
Optimum health and social services have been an integral component of the governor’s human-centered development strategy known as P.E.O.P.L.E.
Dr. Hornido bared that while poverty incidence in the province remains higher than the regional and national targets, the province has consistently surpassed the MDG target in decreasing the malnutrition rate.
The province posted a malnutrition rate of only six percent as against the MDG targets of 8.7 percent and 17.3 percent in the regional and national levels, respectively.
Both the infant mortality and under-5 mortality rates in the province have also decreased, much lesser than the national targets.
Hornido said the province was able to reduce infant mortality from 15 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006 to only seven per one thousand in 2010. Under-5 mortality rate also decreased from 17 deaths in 2006 to 11 in 2010.
However, the number of maternal deaths increased when the province conducted an intensive review, with only four LGUs posting zero maternal death last year.
Davao del Norte registered a maternal death of 122 per 1,000 live births in 2010, compared to the regional MDG target of 120.5 and the national target of 52.2.
Tuberculosis and malaria remain a major health concern in the province, as it is still far from attaining the MDG target of zero percent.
The FHSIS annual report shows the province had a TB and malaria prevalence rate of 128.6 and 12.2, respectively, per 100,000 population last year.
But access to safe drinking water and sanitary toilet facilities had improved in the province over the years.
Data show that 94.2 percent of the population have access to safe water and 91.2 percent to sanitary toilet facilities, respectively, surpassing the Philippine MDG targets.
In his message read by executive assistant Nemesez Nunez, Gov. del Rosario noted thet the uneven performance of the province calls for more extraordinary efforts to improve the quality of health services.
The governor stressed the need to utilize public-private partnership in improving the facilities and services of public hospitals.
He also reiterated his plan to convert the three district hospitals of the province into an economic enterprise, employing the collaboration of private doctors and medical institutions in managing the facilities.
During the program, DOH-11 regional director Teogenes Baluma conferred awards to LGUs that performed well in delivering MNCHN services. He was assisted by provincial board member Daniel Lu, Asuncion Mayor Joseph Nilo Parenas and other health and local officials.
The top three performing LGUs include Panabo City, Tagum City and the municipality of Asuncion.
A solemn prayer for the eternal repose of the neonatal and maternal deaths in the province highlighted the program.
