Dr. Howard Sobel, a World Health Organization

WHO Representative Visits Iligan

Janet An Braza

 Dr. Howard Sobel, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative from New York, USA, visited Iligan City last October 19, 2007. Sobel was welcomed by City Health Officer Dr. Levi Villarin, together with the DOH Representative Dr. Janet Braza, some doctors from Region 10, and few representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

With the entourage, Sobel went to the Iligan City Hall to see the Mayor; unfortunately, the Mayor was out of town for a very important business. They were then entertained by Atty. Cenas, the Executive Assistant of Mayor Lawrence Cruz.

Sobel would be here in the country for one month (from October 15-November 15) to monitor the cities of the country’s three-hundred-thousand-strategy of their 20% topographic coverage for his passions for children through his ‘Iwas Tigdas’ Campaign.

In a related development, it can be recalled that last Monday, October 15, the flag raising ceremony done by the City Hall’s employees was graced by the newly proclaimed 1^st District Congressman of Lanao del Norte, Hon. Vicente “Varf” Belmonte, Jr. He initiated the giving of vitamin K and oil capsule for measles vaccination to the kids who were present during the ceremony.

The giving of the medicines were done to prevent children from being infected with measles especially German measles, rubella measles and the like, which were very contagious and more alarming than SARS, Pneumonia and Meningitis. The number of children in the Philippines who died because of measles was 75,000. “This is huge,” said Dr. Sobel.  Twenty percent of them got some complications.

“For the campaign in 2004, we managed to get enough children on door-to-door cases depending on the situation of the place and circumstances. With did the same thing on November 26, 2006 campaign. Cases of measles and its complications were then reported on January 2007.  With the use of topographical strategy, these cases were detected in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and more especially on coastal areas and, recently, in Palawan. It was found out that cases of measles originated somewhere outside the country, and 20% of the children’s population would surely be affected by this every year. The honeymoon stage or period only takes after every two years,” the DOH representative further said.

“My first-hand experience while I was living near the St Lazarus Hospital opened my eyes to what life is. It is threatening and this keeps me worrying. We moved for the next outreached program—which would happen every three to four years period. This campaign must reach to every child. At least, we had covered 80% for the whole intensive campaign; 20% was being missed. We made sure that every door was knocked on and every child vaccinated. In the United States we had successfully achieved our campaign since every one of us was doing our jobs well,” Sobel narrated.

“In measles vaccination, there must be three doses. One dose is 85% effective, 2 doses is given later on, perhaps after a month or after a year,” Sobel finally pointed out.

According to Dr. Villarin, “We have ironed out these problems. But we only have 3,001 social workers (DSWs) in the city.” Sobel rejoined that “If we only have one-thousand DSWs, that is so difficult for us to operate. In fact, your 3,001 is only a fraction for the total children’s population of the country. Given a 90 children for every DSW, your 3,001 DSWs will be equivalent to 27,000 children. At present the ratio is around 48 DSWs for 6001 children—this is very hard to manage,” Sobel sadly commented.

It’s called the Magna Carta for the health worker 31% representative, the same case in DSWD- we, 663-Executive Order from the President- Immunization Program- Specifically in vaccination for Measles.

Any missed children during the campaign should be shouldered by the DSWD- for the welfare of children.