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  • Title: Health and nutrition and the role of the family.
    Author: Galvez Tan JZ.
    Journal: Popul Forum; 1990; (1):12-4. PubMed ID: 12343161.
    Abstract:
    Certain socioeconomic factors weakened families and socioeconomic development in the Philippines. 34% of pregnant mothers in 1982 had anemia and by 1987 it increased to 45%. 70.4% of children 6-12 months old and 38.7% of those 12 months were also deficient in iron. Moreover, 12.4% of pregnant women in 1987 had a goiter for a total of 223,200 pregnancies of which likely resulted in spontaneous abortions, fetal death, or cretinism. 20% of newborns weighed 2.5 kg in 1990 so 324,000 newborns began their lives malnourished. Breast feeding fell from 87% in 1983 to 80% in 1984. 17.7% of children 6 years old were malnourished and 67% of them had stunted growth. 23% of elementary school students also were malnourished. Family daily energy intake decreased from the already inadequate level of 1808 calories in 1982 to 1753 in 1987. Similar falls in dietary intakes included protein, carbohydrates, calcium, ascorbic acid, and riboflavin. In 1989, 50% of families were poor thereby limiting their access to health, education, and food. Even though fertility fell from 6.3 in 1970 to 4.5 in 1984, it still was too high. Infant mortality in 1990 stood at 652 which meant that 250 babies died each day. In addition, 70 1-4 year old children died each day. Yet most of these deaths could have been prevented. Pneumonia was responsible for 40% of these child deaths. Other leading causes of death included diarrhea, measles, nutritional deficiencies, and bronchitis. The government has chosen primary health care (PHC) as the means to better the health status of the population, but is had no official policy and PHC committees largely are inactive. The government must seriously implement PHC throughout the Philippines and place health at the top of its list. Cooperation and coordination among all levels of government and nongovernmental organizations must begin.
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