JULY 2, 2012 DATE

NR # 2788
REF. NO.

Integrated health education to be taught in elementary up to tertiary levels

Integrated health education will soon be included in elementary to tertiary curricula to develop a new breed of Filipino doctors. Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay (Party-list, AVE) authored House Bill 6104 to help students to prepare for a career as health professionals and improve the local health system in the form of high quality health services at par with the best in the world. Magsaysay said there is a need for a new breed of health professionals with varying skills set, utilizing education to strengthen health systems. The curriculum shall be made with the end in mind of training future health professionals, who shall be prepared to render basic health services in the absence of doctors and contribute to the improvement of universal health care, Magsaysay said. Introduction of relevant health issues like smoking cessation, healthy diet, exercise or physical education daily to prevent lifestyle diseases in the curriculum is an innovative and long term solution to improving preventive health education and public health, and ultimately health services, Magsaysay added. Magsaysay said experts have zeroed in on the rise of non communicable diseases (NCDs) which have reached almost epidemic proportions across all social classes and across the globe. It is alarming that NCDs are common now in younger and poorer patients in Southeast Asian countries, threatening developing and less developed economies, where people are not ready to face a social epidemic, Magsaysay said. Nonetheless, other health issues like communicable diseases also require attention especially those that affect the impoverished, Magsaysay said. Under the bill, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall be the lead agencies in crafting, administering, implementing and evaluating the curriculum. Likewise, the DepEd, CHED and if necessary, the Department of Health (DOH) , Department of Science and Technology (DOST) or the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shall provide the implementing Rules and Regulations, additional guidelines and trainings. Public school teachers shall be required to undergo training from health professionals accredited by the Department of Health (DOH). Magsaysay said experts from the Philippine College of Physicians shall be tapped to train teachers until such time they have mastered basic training on smoking cessation, good nutrition and physical education. (30) jsc