Alarm over diabetes in kids raised
"Diabetes is not only a disease of the middle age. More and more, high school and elementary students [are being affected]. At age 22, bulag na e hindi pa kumikita (blind already while not yet earning money). At age 20 plus, nagda-dialysis na, possibly stroke and heart attack," says Dr. Tommy Ty Willing, president of the Philippine Diabetes Association (PDA), during the recent observance of World Diabetes Day in November.
Pediatric endocrinologist Sioksoan Chan-Cua said that patients as young as five years old are coming to her clinic with type 2 diabetes, a disease usually associated with people 40 years old and above. "I'm getting patients with blood sugar of more than 1,000. They come in with diabetic ketoacidosis, a breakdown of fat tissues when the body cannot utilize the glucose very well anymore," she said.
While there are no clear data yet among the young on the running incidence of type 2 diabetes, related statistics add up to a grim scenario. Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition normally affecting the young, is rising by three percent worldwide, with 17 percent of children 14 and below developing the disease each year.
Chan-Cua said the Philippines is still low on this score compared with other countries, especially Scandinavian nations like Finland, Sweden, and Norway, but we are also seeing an increase every year.
Of the 380 million people expected to develop diabetes by 2025 based on International Diabetes Federation/World Health Organization data, a good percentage will be coming from Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines.
Ty Willing and other local antidiabetes advocates are seeing this scenario unfold up close. He cited the 2006 partial result of a nationwide survey started by PDA in 1998, showing 10-percent new diabetes cases sprouting among populations with normal profile in the National Capital Region and regions III and IV.
With type 2 prevalence closely tracking obesity incidence, the projected threefold rise in obese Filipino children over the next five years-as per data from the Department of Education and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute-leaves little to the imagination on the outlook for diabetes among the Filipino young despite the lack of direct data on type 2.
"Seven out of the top 10 children living with diabetes are in developing countries. So at one end, we have under nutrition, and on the other end is over nutrition," Chan-Cua observed.
As with adults, diabetes in the young also comes with the full house of complications and related disorders. Chan-Cua said she now encounters fatty liver and hypertension in kids, a phenomenon now affecting 12.2 percent of children in Asian countries.
The only piece of good news is the physical resiliency of the young coming into play against a disease that most adults are resigned to live with. Diabetes in the young is still reversible.
Aside from calling attention to the growing presence of the disease among the young, the focus of the 2007-2008 World Diabetes Day on the young is also geared toward rescuing more kids from the condition through enrollment in diabetes-support initiatives.
Chan-Cua dwelled on addressing the most obvious risk factor. Citing body-mass-index (BMI) guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, she advised that a child with a BMI value of 25 or 30 is definitely obese. Children four years old and younger should only have a BMI of 16.
"Most kids should lose baby fat after two years of age so we should not be seeing preschoolers who are on the heavy side," she said. She added that the Philippine Pediatric Society is advocating a policy statement on BMI-management standards for children.
M Grace Roxas
Cycling to fight diabetes
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, 380 million people worldwide will be diabetic. In the Philippines, four million Filipinos are afflicted with diabetes. The numbers are growing rapidly, with an expected doubling of the numbers in 20 years. By then, the Philippines is expected to be among the 10 top countries with the highest incidence of diabetes.
The Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM), in coordination with the Union of Cyclist Associations of the Philippines (UCAP) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) held a cycling fun ride dubbed as "Go Bike Pilipinas" to make a call to increase attention to diabetes. The event aims to emphasize the best way to prevent diabetes, which is healthy diet and regular exercise.
In a press conference organized by the PSEM and Sanofi-Aventis in November, society president Dr. Jospehine Raboca stated that the growing number of Filipinos suffering from diabetes nowadays has become very alarming. She added that what's even more alarming is the fact that diabetes mellitus has already been seen young children and teenagers, thus rendering obsolete the notion that type 2 diabetes is an "adult-onset" disease.
That is why the organization made possible this 20-km cycling fun ride, which was held simultaneously in Manila, Bacolod, and Cagayan De Oro.
In Metro Manila, the event started at the One Esplanade, Mall of Asia to Quezon Memorial Circle back to One Esplanade. For people who couldn't cycle, a fun walk was held at the end of the event. Also, a human circle was formed to express unity with other groups in the fight diabetes.
M Gayleen Caballero
PHA marks World Heart Day
The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) marked this year's World Heart Day in September with a series of activities to punctuate the global theme, Team Up for Healthy Hearts. The celebrations kicked off with the Puso sa Puso media forum with Mrs. Audrey Zubiri, wife of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, as guest.
Speaking on behalf of her senator husband, she said having a healthy citizenry is a great challenge and "an excellent cause" for legislators to team up with the PHA and the Philippine College of Cardiology. She said two areas of Zubiri's legislative agenda involve ensuring appropriate medical for the poor and pushing for preventive measures.
Bringing its campaign closer to younger people to instill in them healthy habits at an early age, the PHA held competitions in cheering, poster making, and video production.
The Pep Squad of the School of Holy Spirit in BF Homes, Quezon City won first prize in the cheering competition for performing the most number of stunts with grace and precision. Second prize went to St. Pedro Poveda High School and third prize to Arellano University Pasay City.
The Healthy Hearts on-the-spot poster-making contest was dominated by Kalayaan Elementary School Pasay City, winning all the top three prizes.
Rose Hill High School, Antipolo City won the top prize in the video competition with their "Father's Day" infomercial, which highlights the importance of staying fit to protect one's heart and avoid the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). It enjoins parents to practice what they preach because losing a father or the head of the family to the deadly CVD is a child's nightmare.
Dr. Maria Teresa Abola, PHA secretary and chair of World Heart Day 2007, said this year's celebrations focused on the young to inculcate in them early the importance of a wholesome regimen that includes a healthy diet, sporty lifestyle, avoidance of smoking and other unhealthy habits. "To be able to raise health-conscious adults, wholesome regimen should be ingrained in the young so that they may regard it not just as a routine but a habit," she stressed.
World Heart Day is simultaneously marked in 100 nations worldwide every last Sunday of September. In the Philippines, the PHA is the lead agency, with the Department of Health and other medical societies serving as active partners.
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Fighting violence at UP postgrad
Every year, 1.6 million people die of self-inflicted, interpersonal, and collective violence. This makes violence the leading cause of death of people 15 to 44 years old, according to John Juliard Go, national health officer for noncommunicable diseases. Go keynoted the fourth annual postgraduate course organized by the University of the Philippines Manila-Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine in October with the theme The Clinical and Psychological Dimensions of Violence: The Role of the Mental-Health Professional.
In the Philippines, acts of collective violence, such as bombings, are known to affect the day-to-day lives of ordinary individuals. Worse, the injured and their families, as well as the families of those who die, had to live with emotional trauma.
But not known to all, more damaging are everyday incidents of individual violence, said Go. These incidents range from adults abusing children, children bullying other children, caregivers maltreating the elderly, and women being hit by their partners.
According to Go, interpersonal violence in the Philippines has become very alarming. Injury is now reported as the fourth-leading cause of mortality in the country. Injury brought about by certain behavioral disorders, problems on mental health, and poor reproductive health could destroy relationships between people, families, and even communities. Violence could also result in isolation from social integration, relationship problems, and lost productivity. Go urged doctors and other health-care practitioners to get involved in the prevention of violence, collect data on violence, conduct research on its causes and consequences, and help strengthen health and social responses. Also, doctors should build a network that will share information on violence prevention and ensure adherence to national and international treaties against violence.
Lastly, Go emphasized that everybody must do their share to stop violence, save lives, and promote physical and mental health in the community.
M Gayleen Caballero
UP grand symposium in February
The University of the Philippines Manila-College of Medicine will hold its 15th grand scientific symposium on February 1 and 2, 2008, at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino with the theme The Brain and Behavior: Optimizing Function from Birth and Beyond. The first and most comprehensive scientific meeting that combines the neurosciences, psychiatry, and neuropharmacology, the symposium targets the country's primary-care physicians, health-care providers, and educators to enhance their knowledge in recognizing and managing patients with neurologic and psychiatric problems in the community setting.
The two-day event features plenary lectures on the following topics: From Neurons to Neighborhoods, The Adolescent Storm, Optimizing Brain Function in Adults and The Twilight Years to be given by Drs. Lillian Lee, Cornelio Banaag Jr., Martesio Perez, and Baltazar Reyes. Other topics are : Brain and Development, Bangag o Baliw, Neurology of Ageing, Dysfunction of Brain and Behavior, Issues in Children and Adolescents, Epilepsy: Primary Care, Neurologic Problems in Children, Crossroads, Dementia, Optimizing Stroke Management, Special Topics, and Neuropharmacology.
For inquiries, contact Rio Rodriguez at +63-2-5361319, or e-mail at upcmpgim@gmail.com.
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50 years of Philippine urology
Health secretary Francisco Duque III lauded the efforts of Filipino urologists in bringing high-quality health-care services to people in the community.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Urolo-gical Association (PUA) in November, Duque said that the practice of urology has evolved so well and has become a strongly independent specialty in Philippine medicine. While the practice started by Fili-pinos who had gone abroad to undergo training, urology in the Philippines now has 11 accredited training institutions and produces about 14 new urologists every year.
But while Philippine training institutions and hospitals can offer first-world urological care, there is still significant inequity in the distribution of health-care professionals in the regions, said Duque. He also sounded the alarm on the continuing illegal sale and purchase of human organs in the country-a fact that serves as an obstacle to the delivery of quality care.
"Reflect not only on your accomplishments as an organization but also on your vision and goals for the future," Duque advised the PUA. The challenge, he said, is to become more relevant and responsive in the needs of our citizens. The goal is to be better in care, research, and development of new members, as well as understand and pursue the gold standards of delivering urological care of Filipino people.
Duque urged all urologists and other health-care professionals to remain active in conceptualizing and implementing innovative campaigns that aim to improve urology-related services across the country. This is all in keeping with the spirit of partnership that the government advocates. He said that stakeholders, including health professionals, should come together and fight the many pressing health challenges in the country.
"Together we can learn from each other's experiences and enrich the knowledge in expertise of our health professionals towards providing quality urological care and management for the Filipino people," he said.
Duque also emphasized the importance of devising guidelines on transplantation to ensure the highest level of protection in Filipinos, whether they are transplant recipients or organ donors. Filipino patients should be given the highest priority in terms of organ allocation under these revised guidelines, he stressed, and illegal transplantation should not be part of medical tourism.
The 50th PUA anniversary celebration coincided with the PUA's hosting of the seventh Asia-Pacific Urooncology Congress held at the Edsa Shangri-La, Mandaluyong City.
M Gayleen Caballero
Making vaccines newsworthy
At the eighth Philippine National Immunization Conference organized by the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) in November, experts acknowledged the role of the media in educating and influencing policy makers on matters concerning health.
But while the media have contributed significantly to health advocacy, they can, in fact, do more, said Brad Geiser of Geiser Maclang Marketing Communications in a workshop during the conference. The media could get involved in other forms of advocacy and use various communication approaches and strategies.
In particular, the media could play a key role in promoting vaccination in the communities. With the help of their reach and resources, the media could participate in raising the awareness of health-care professionals on the importance of immunization in the community.
Geiser emphasized the fundamentals of public relations, which may be used in the prioritization and promotion of vaccination through communication. He said that the most effective way to communicate the importance of vaccination in the country is to target the so-called stakeholders-the parents, doctors, and educators.
He said that even for health professionals, the most effective way to deal with these stakeholders is through the press. Medical practitioners cannot speak to cell groups while the press can, he explained. In fact, it is better to combine both advertising and PR in reaching out to these stakeholders.
Advertising relies more on the memory, making sure that people remember their message. PR, meanwhile, addresses belief and perceptions, targeting to transform people's perspectives on things. These two best work together if medical practitioners would like to come up with an effective strategy to communicate the importance of vaccination in the community, said Geiser.
Geiser also stressed that the public do not avail themselves of something that they do not understand; therefore it is a joint responsibility of health professionals and the press to provide not only concepts but concrete explanations on why people should pay attention to vaccination.
"Vaccines are important. But is it news?" Geiser said. "The health workers and the press must find the values of impact, timeliness, proximity, and prominence with the message they are trying to convey to make it newsworthy."
M Gayleen Caballero
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