Renal disease prevention program in Region 8 reinforced

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
April 20, 2006

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  – Thanks to the visit of the National Monitoring Team and the Regional REDCOP Coordinators, the Renal Disease Program in Northern Samar and Region 8 as a whole got the much-needed boost to really take off.

Kidney diseases rank as the number ten killer in the Philippines, causing death to about 7,000 Filipinos every year. This was revealed by Dr. Remedios de Belen Uriarte, the National Program Chairman of the Renal Disease Prevention Program, during the monitoring and evaluation activities at Catarman, Nothern Samar which started on April 19. These kidney diseases, she emphasized, include diabetic kidney disease, chronic glomerulonephritis, hypertensive kidney disease, chronic and repeated infection or pyelonephritis.

In Region 8, statistics available to the Regional REDCOP reveals that renal diseases are the 6th mortality cause. The prevalence of this silent disease is enough to get the attention of the various stakeholders.

Dr. Uriarte who arrived from Manila together with the partner agency representative Mr. Angel Katindig of the Philippine Information Agency, Ms. Beth Coloma of the National Kidney Institute and Dr. Jaime Velasquez, the chief anaesthesiologist and head of the OR Department of the National Kidney Center were met at the airport by Regional REDCOP Coordinator Dr. Eduardo Pedrosa, PIA 8 Olive Tiu, Ms. Elvira Lanza of the Department of Health Region 8, Mr. Vino Cuayzon and Ms. Rosario Obregon of PIA 8 and Ms. Aileen Diaz of PIA 8 Provincial Office.

The group made courtesy calls on Vice Governor Guido Lavin Jr. representing Gov. Raul Daza who is presently in Australia and on Vice Mayor Romeo Cardenas of the capital town of Catarman. Both local government executives welcomed the guests and the program and pledged their full support to the program which they agreed has already afflicted many of their constituents and must be prevented.

The Monitoring Team observed the training on the Prevention of Kidney Diseases for Health Workers such as municipal health officers, nurses and midwives. The team noticed the enthusiasm of the field health workers, some of them of whom are already implementing the REDCOP in their respective municipalities.

To emphasized the learning that advocacy and information is very vital to the success of the program or any program for that matter, an interface with the local private and government media and information officers was held at the Bahay Pinoy Restaurant. The local media expressed their support to the Program noting the observed increasing incidence of kidney diseases in the province especially because many are afflicted with diabetes and hypertension.