Fourth Update Hypertension

Background of the Problem

Water is a basic need and according to the United Nations access to it is also a human right. It is an essential part of daily life and in maintaining good health. Safe water is utilized by humans through sanitation, food production, and hydration. Unsafe drinking water can lead to so many serious health conditions and even death. Every year many people, most especially children, suffer from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances caused by diarrheal diseases. It might be an easily preventable problem, but still many people are seriously affected by this especially those living in poverty-stricken communities where water is considered a luxury. In these areas, water sources are usually communal or public and there is no purification method used for drinking water.

In Barangay Maras, there are a couple of different water sources used by the residents and most of them are communal and are not yet confirmed to be potable. The households situated near the highway get their drinking water from a dug wells with hand pump and a few would buy from the nearby water-refilling station. Some households are connected to the piped spring water system established by the Local Officials but the water is rationed and still limited. Along the highway, an average of 25-30 households share 1 water source. In the areas far from the main road, drinking water is taken from an open dug well or a protected spring. Purok Waling-Waling is the only purok that has no water source of its own and people would walk in distances even as far as 200 meters through dense grasslands and narrow roads on top of cliffs just to get water. In terms of water storage and purification, the residents utilize covered containers, which most of them clean regularly, but not all purify their drinking water.

Solution

To manage these problems, approaches must be focused on changing the negative practices of the community, mobilize the people, and utilize available resources to improve the situation of the water sources.

Sustainability

Community involvement is the best way to ascertain sustainability of the programs that will be implemented. All throughout the process, from the identification of the problem up to the evaluation of results, the people must be actively involved to instill the sense of ownership and cooperation in them. The local leaders must also be empowered so that they will be motivated to guide the people effectively and provide independent decisions in managing the projects.

hypertension update

September 2021 IMPLEMENTATION

According to a survey conducted by the Philippine Heart Association, hypertension was the most prevalent CVD in the Philippines (38.6%), followed by stroke (30%), coronary artery disease (17.5%), and heart failure (10.4%). It was also found out that diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, obesity, and waist-to-hip ratio in men and women were the most common cardiovascular risk factor prevalence (Sison et al, 2020).

In the article “Nasa Dugo (‘It’s in the blood’): lay conceptions of hypertension in the Philippines” written by Dr. Gideon Lasco, he said that recognizing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, currently affecting one in four Filipinos, the Department of Health promotes health education and the availability of antihypertensive drugs with higher rates in urban areas. The prevention and treatment of hypertension, especially among low-income patients, remain a problem in spite of health promotion initiatives that have concentrated on modifiable risk factors like tobacco and alcohol use, diet and exercise (2020).

In Barangay Maras, the disease burden of Hypertension continues to be a challenge for the health personnel. The lack of health budget and human resources in the barangay leave the community helpless as medication supply remain scarce throughout the municipality. Simultaneously, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Sindangan, it is expected that hypertension case detection and follow-up will decline, implying a deterioration in access to critical health services associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

How or when this pandemic will end is still a mystery to everyone. However, the hope that the current pandemic will soon end is what everyone is longing for. Despite this, the researchers’ campaign for an increased awareness and knowledge about hypertension in the community remains to be the major activity for the subsequent exposures. By motivating the residents, the researchers are hopeful that building trust and increasing strong communication with the community will improve positive attitudes towards health promotion and disease prevention.

References:

Lasco, G., Mendoza, J., Renedo, A., Seguin, M. L., Palafox, B., Palileo-Villanueva, L. M., … McKee, M. (2020). Nasa dugo (“It”s in the blood’): lay conceptions of hypertension in the Philippines. BMJ Global Health, 5(7), e002295. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002295

Sison, J., Divinagracia, R., & Nailes, J. (2020). Asian management of hypertension: Current status, home blood pressure, and specific concerns in Philippines (a country report). The Journal of Clinical Hypertension. doi:10.1111/jch.13802

September 2021 Accomplishments:

Evaluation and Approval of Modular Course Integration for Hypertension among Senior High School Students
Procurement of two (2) additional BP Monitoring Kits

Endorsed Antihypertensive Medications Distribution and Prioritization Algorithm
Update Hypertension Masterlist
Sustenance of BP Monitoring at the BP Stations
Supportive Physical Environments: Twice a month Zumba Classes in the barangay covered court

Upcoming Activities:

Following the protocols of social distancing, wearing of face masks, disinfection, and limiting movement to only essentials in the context of COVID-19 New Normal Setting, the following upcoming activities are as follows:
- Procurement of Antihypertensive Medications
- Conduction of training and seminars for Medication Compliance, BP taking, case finding, monitoring, and referral
- Modular Course Integration on Aksyon Kontra Alta Presyon among Senior High School Students
- Endorsement of a Barangay Resolution for Maras Hypertension Health Club
- Monthly assessment of compliance to medication using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale
- Mobilizing resources from Private sectors