World No Tobacco Day – a People’s Day for Health

People’s organizations including senior citizens, people with disability, patients, and tobacco victims reiterate their support for a universal health care law on World No Tobacco Day.

New Vois of the Philippines (NVAP) President Emer Rojas said every Filipino should be automatically enrolled through universal health care to address the gap in treatment and service provision especially when a patient is an indigent.

Rojas noted that with many Filipinos afflicted by lifestyle related non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, having access to universal health care would ensure that they have a fighting chance in life.

“With universal health care every Filipino, young and old, will be automatically enrolled into PhilHealth and each family would be matched to a family doctor who is linked to a network of specialists, clinics, pharmacies and hospitals whether general or specialty medical facilities,” Rojas said.

“This is to ensure that every family receives the appropriate services they require within the right facility,” he added.

The universal health care bill, which is currently sitting in the senate would best be implemented through the revenues derived from sin tax on tobacco.

This year’s theme of World No Tobacco Day revolves around the link of tobacco use and heart disease.

Rojas said tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease and despite efforts to reduce tobacco-related deaths and diseases there is still very low awareness that smoking is a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use is the second leading cause of CVD after high blood pressure with smoking and second-hand smoke contributing to approximately 12 percent of all heart disease deaths worldwide.

“The burden of tobacco-related illness and death is felt more in countries like the Philippines where 80 percent of the one billion smokers worldwide live in low and middle-income countries,” said Rojas.

Mr. Jorge Banal, president of the Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines – NCR/QC said CVD is one of the top killers in the Philippines and with other lifestyle related non-communicable diseases such as cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes, make up half of all deaths in the country annually.

“Heart disease continue to threaten senior citizens and this must be addressed through the universal health care and effectively financed by tobacco taxes,” said Banal.

“With universal health care we are hopeful that there will be more resources to raise awareness and address these issues to reduce the prevalence of smoking and eventually heart disease as well as provide medical care for all CVD victims,” Banal ended.

Mr Rojas noted that people’s organizations will continue to rally for universal access to health care and increased taxes against tobacco firms. (NVAP)