Health group to Pinoys: Commit to be healthier this 2025

PRESS RELEASE

Public health advocacy network, Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA), urged Filipinos and their families to kick off 2025 by prioritizing their health to help prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and mental health illnesses.

The HPA encouraged Pinoys, especially the youth, firstly, to adopt healthier habits starting with replacing poor diets with nutritious ones by avoiding ultra-processed food (UPF) like chips, hotdog, sweetened beverages, and other instant or ready-to-eat products and swapping them with whole foods, including more fruits and vegetables. The HPA also emphasized the importance of drinking more water, cutting back on alcohol, avoiding smoking or vaping, staying physically active and ensuring sufficient sleep.

“Adopting a healthy lifestyle significantly contributes to preventing NCDs and maintaining overall physical and mental health. The habits we develop in childhood and adolescence often carry over into adulthood. As we embrace and pledge for a healthier year ahead, let’s remember our significant role in creating healthier environments and systems. By starting with ourselves and shifting towards lifestyles that promote good health and well-being, we can inspire the young, our loved ones, and peers to do the same,” said Alyannah Lagasca, Lead Convenor of the HPA Youth Network.

Moreover, the HPA also reminded families and persons living with NCDs to stay mindful of their health, especially with the upcoming year-end feasts and celebrations, to better manage their conditions and avoid complications.

“We all want to enjoy the food and festivities for Media Noche, but NCD patients need to take extra precaution especially in terms of their diet. We encourage them to keep an eye on their health, including their blood pressure, blood sugar or medications. It would also be best to consult with their health care provider for proper monitoring and to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations,” said Paul Mendoza, Secretary of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) and President of Psoriasis Philippines, an HPA member.

In the Philippines, NCDs account for 70% of total deaths or more than 600,000 Filipinos yearly.

The WHO Western Pacific Region report, released in October, showed that the Philippines is experiencing a worsening trend in NCD-related mortality in contrast with the Region’s decreasing numbers. The probability of premature deaths due to NCDs likely occur among Filipinos aged 30 to 70 has also increased.

“We must protect Filipinos and their families from the burden of NCDs. We call on our national and local government officials to make a commitment as their New Year’s Resolution to take decisive action and implement policy interventions that will address the urgent threat of NCDs and combat its risk factors such as smoking, vaping, and unhealthy diets to safeguard our nation’s health,” emphasized Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former Health Secretary and Board Member of HealthJustice, also Lead Convenor of the HPA.

The Philippine Statistics Authority has recorded that NCDs remain to be the major cause of deaths from January to June 2024, wherein ischemic heart diseases ranked first (49,577), neoplasms or cancers came in second (27,396), cerebrovascular diseases like stroke were third (25,186) and diabetes ranked fifth (15,617).

Contact persons:

HEALTHY PHILIPPINES ALLIANCE
Secretariat : healthyphilippinesalliance2018@gmail.com

Patricia Reyes, Communications Officer

+639760085498 / plamangune@gmail.com

Anelle Cortez, Project Coordinator

+639178139696 / anelledc@gmail.com