Lawas I-atiman Aron Alta Presyon Malikayan: Sept-Nov 2016 Update

Hypertension ranked second in the top 10 morbidity cases as of year 2015 of Barangay Goaw, Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte. Most of the identified hypertensive individuals lack knowledge about hypertension. They do not see the disease as life threatening because the symptoms are not always evident. In fact, more than 50% are not on antihypertensive medications.

To meet the specific objectives of increasing the knowledge of identified hypertensive individuals on hypertension and compliance in medication regimen, the following activities were conducted:

                            

 

1. Series of mass blood pressure (BP) taking in to comply the guidelines for diagnosis of Hypertension based on JNC 8.

                                     

2. Re-identification of prehypertensive individuals. There was 100% participation among previosuly identified hypertensive individuals. Among 78 identified prehypertensive individuals, 9 individuals were diagnosed with hypertension.

 

3. “Kontrol Alta Presyon Program” is the establishment of a management scheme that encourages hypertensive individuals to register at Rural Health Unit to avail free antihypertensive medications at the barangay through the help of midwife and NDPs. 

       To date, 50 individuals were diagnosed by the Municipal Health Officer(MHO) with hypertension of whom 19 individuals are classified with Stage 1 hypertension while 11 individuals are with Stage 2 hypertension. The identified hypertensive individuals were enrolled in Hypertension club, a nationwide database for hypertension. They were given free maintenance medications good for one month and the succeeding medications are to be given at the barangay during the monthly visit of midwife and NDPs, as agreed by the MHO.

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An increase in the number of hypertensive individuals were due to intensive casefinding strategy used in the BP: Alamin at Kontrolin Program. The increase in participation of individuals aged 18y/o and above in blood pressure monitoring and medication adherence were influenced by the new system adopted by the MHO from “Kontrol Alta Presyon Program” wherein registered hypertensive individuals in the RHU were given the privilege to get their maintenance medications at barangay health station in collaboration with the assigned midwife and NDPs.

Para sa Tubig ni Juan: Sept-Nov 2016 Update

To promote health in the community, sufficient and accessible water supply should be available in the community. But if this is not possible, household water should be properly handled from the source to use in order to ensure potable drinking water for each household. Water handling practices involve source improvement and risk reduction, clean water storage and, proper water treatment methods.

Source improvement and risk reduction can be done either by making the water source protected. Source improvement can be done by fulfilling the criteria of World Health Organization of Improved water sources. Low risk water sources can be done by decreasing the chances of contamination in the source level. Open water sources fully enclosed or capped. Distance between the latrines and the water sources must be far away as possible and not on a higher ground. Maintenance of the water source must not be stagnant water within 5 meters of the water source. Resources used to collect water from sources must also be kept clean as possible. Clean water storage and proper water treatment method can be done with correct and consistent practice and available and clean resources.

           Activities during the recent community immersion include:

·      “Agianan sa Tubig na Limpyo” is a community assembly where representative of each households were taught about possible ways of water contamination and methods of its prevention. The assembly was done last April 2015, and now, undergoing its monitoring and evaluation.

·      “Ayaw ng Hugaw ng Goaw” is a community engagement to encourage action to protect water sources.

                           

At this time, 58% of households have access potable drinking water through proper water handling practices. Most of the households either fail to secure the protection of their water source or incorrect water storage or treatment methods. Another community assembly will be done in order to further increase the number of households with potable drinking water.