P49.9B for health sector to help achieve Millennium Development Goals—Abad

MANILA, Philippines —The health sector’s budget in 2012, which increased by 30 percent to P49.9 billion from last year’s allocation, will be used to help achieve the country’s Millennium Development Goals, according to Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad.

Abad said in a statement that in particular, the bigger budget would ensure that health services would be provided to children 15 months and younger as well as to the elderly.

Abad said that of the total health fund, P44.4 billion would be directed to the Department of Health, which would mean its budget increased by 34 percent.

He said the DOH would channel P2.3 billion into its Family Health and Responsible Parenting program.

Part of the allocation will be used for the vaccination of at least 899,396 senior citizens against influenza and pneumonia, both of which are potentially fatal to this age group.

Also, P1.9 billion is earmarked for the Expanded Program on Immunization to reduce the incidence of death among infants.

The MDGs are a set of minimum commitments with the United Nations to eradicate poverty, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality in education, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS and ensure environmental sustainability by 2015.

The DOH is targeting at least 2.6 million Filipino children up to 15 months for this program, which will help protect infants against Hepatitis-B, measles, tetanus, rotavirus, and other immunizable diseases.

The budget chief added that the Doctor to the Barrios program would receive P1.7 billion, more than 10 times than its allocation in 2011.

This program will help the DOH deploy 200 doctors, 1,021 midwives, and 12,000 nurses in regional health units, barangay health stations, and hospitals.

Another P5.1 billion will be directed to the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP), through which key health facilities across the country will be properly upgraded and made even more accessible to local communities.

Abad said the DOH would actively pursue public-private partnerships for the modernization of 25 regional hospitals, for which Malacañang has allotted P3 billion in counterpart funds.

“Key to the HFEP and the Doctors to the Barrios initiative is our desire to bring critical health assistance to Filipinos in remote areas, especially those in coastal or mountainous communities,” he said.

“Many of these residents are reluctant to seek medical aid because of their distance from the town or city proper, where most hospitals are located,” he added. “This time, we will bring our services to their doorstep and help them get ready access to better health care.”