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- Category: Region 9
Pursuant to Proclamation No. 470, the first week of October every year is celebrated as Elderly Filipino Week or Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino to maximize the contribution of Senior Citizens to nation building and to promote the well-being of elderly Filipinos in the society.
Senior citizens are people with age of 60 years or older. In the Philippines, the number of older people is increasing rapidly, representing 8.6 % of the total population. And as ageing population grows, the demand for health services also increases as this age group usually suffers from both degenerative and communicable diseases due to the ageing of the body’s immune system. Most leading causes of seniors’ morbidity are infections, visual impairment, difficulty in walking, chewing and hearing, osteoporosis, arthritis and other common health-related problems.
To show our gratitude to our elderly for taking care of us during our younger years, it is now our time to take care of them in their most vulnerable years wherein this is the time they needed us the most. People who practiced good health habits when they were younger opt to become healthy seniors, but it is not yet too late. Good health habits can make a big difference even to seniors who are prone to illness or failed to prioritize their health in the past. Here are some guides to follow to keep up with the health needs of a parent or loved ones who are in their senior years:
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- Category: Region 9
Sugar can be found naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates such as in grains, dairy as well as in fruits and vegetables. Consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar is okay, however, problems occur when too much added sugar is consumed. Studies have shown that eating too much sugar can have many negative effects on our health and it can contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and tooth decay.
During this modern age, we cannot deny the fact that it is really difficult to cut off or lessen our sugar consumption with all the food and beverages that catch our attention such as milk teas, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. There are ways to reduce our sugar intake as excessive consumption of added sugar has many negative health effects.
1. Swap soft drinks, energy drinks, and powdered juices for water
You may opt to drink more water. Aside from having zero calories, it is also good for your health! You can also add slices of lemon or cucumber for a refreshing drink.
2. Avoid sugar-loaded desserts
Avoid craving for those cakes, pies, cookies, ice creams and doughnuts. They are loaded with sugar, which causes blood sugar spikes and can leave you feeling tired, hungry and craving more sugar.
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- Category: Region 9
Thy thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland found at the base of the neck that is rich with blood vessels. A healthy thyroid secretes hormone collectively called thyroid hormones that act throughout the body, influencing metabolism, growth and development, and body temperature. During infancy and childhood, adequate thyroid hormone is also crucial for brain development. When the thyroid is harmed, this could also affect the body including changes in weight and appearance, fatigue and skipping of period for women.
Thyroid cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects the thyroid gland. This type of cancer might not cause any symptoms at first, but as it grows, it can cause pain and swelling in the neck. In line with the celebration of International Thyroid Cancer Awareness Week on the fourth Week of September, the whole month of September is also celebrated as National Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month in the Philippines by virtue of Republic Act No. 10786 to raise awareness on the prevention of thyroid disorders and encourage those affected to seek early medical consultations once signs and symptoms are observed.
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- Category: Region 9
Yearly, by virtue of Proclamation No. 115-A series of 1966 the month of September is observed as Health, Safety and Sanitation Month which endorses safety consciousness as a positive preventive approach to problems that can be solved by exercising more caution, vigilance, exercise of common sense and respect for the law.
Health, safety and sanitation are among the essential components in protecting ourselves against potential harm and diseases to sustain life. During this time that the global community is hit by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the virus spreads primarily to people who are in close contact with and inhales the small droplets produced by the infected person (symptomatic or not) by coughing, sneezing or talking. Following the safety measures, health protocols, sanitation and hygiene such as wearing of face masks and shields, social distancing and washing of hands regularly are the “new normal” ways that people adhere to avoid contamination.
Read more: Health, Safety and Sanitation: Your Protection against COVID-19
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- Category: Region 9
The COVID-19 pandemic is a health and human crisis that threatens the food security and nutrition of millions of people around the globe. Before the pandemic, a lot of people are already suffering from hunger and malnutrition and if no immediate action is done, these problems will continue to persist until a global food emergency will be experienced. Hence, the national government, local government units, private organizations and other sectors are intensifying their efforts to sustain the economy, agriculture, markets and other essential business running to ensure that the citizens can still be able to access and buy food despite the movement restrictions and income losses.
One of the Local Government Units who scaled-up their nutrition response to mitigate hunger and malnutrition during this pandemic is the municipality of Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte.
The Municipal Nutrition Committee (MNC) of Piñan, ZDN headed by MNC Chairperson Honorable Cecilia J. Carreon and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer (MNAO) Dr. Ricardo S. Awit, provided fruits like apples and oranges per day in addition to the food packs distributed that contain adult milk, carrots, potato, munggo, oats, eggs, biscuits, and iodized salt to all identified pregnant women and 6-59 months old underweight and severely underweight children of the 22 barangays of the municipality for the period of 31 days in April 2020. Through the generous donations of various local investors and private organizations, the LGU was able to distribute additional rice and canned goods to all their constituents. Process of distribution was done weekly by the Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNSs) and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) while following the COVID-19 health protocols.
Read more: LGU Piñan mitigates hunger and malnutrition amidst COVID-19
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- Category: Region 9
Online meetings are already part of our new normal and 31 Nutrition Action Officers (NAOs) of Zamboanga Peninsula were able to connect and meet online on 17 September 2020 for its 2nd semester meeting which was presided by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) Regional Office 9 Nutrition Program Coordinator Ms. Nimfa D. Ekong. The agenda of the meeting includes the discussion on the new schedule of the NAOs conference and the 2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) Result. For other matters, issues and concerns with regards to BNS financial assistance were also discussed as well as the different reports to be submitted.
NPC Ekong in her welcome message thanked the NAOs for taking time to join the online meeting. She emphasized that the said meeting was called to discuss important matters and on top of the list is the upcoming NAOs conference which will be held online on October 1, 8, 15 and 22, while the registration period will be from September 14 to 22. NPC Ekong hoped that the NAOs will find time to attend the conference as this activity will provide them nutrition updates as well as camaraderie among the Nutrition Action Officers just like the past conferences.
Read more: Nutrition Action Officers convene online for its 2nd Semester Meeting
