Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Access to safe water is DOH's top concern
GOOD access to safe water is one of the top priorities of the Department of Health (DOH)-Southern Mindanao this year due to prevalent water-borne diseases that may be attributed to the absence or lack of sanitation in the region.
Last month, a diarrhea outbreak occurred in the province of Compostela Valley due to the alleged contamination of drinking water in the area.
Davao City had its share of problems such as the increase of coliform in the city's beaches a couple of years back.
Even with a population of almost 1.3 million people, Davao City has yet to come up with a sewer system or a septage management program.
DOH-Southern Mindanao director Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said sanitation is one of the key concerns of the department this year, alongside with dengue, maternal mortality, and their breastfeeding advocacy.
"If the sanitation will not be addressed, then the water will be contaminated and will provide more problems," Ubial said.
The DOH-Southern Mindanao conducted a Health Summit last week in order to gather the various stakeholders of the health sector and provide a venue for them to align and synchronize their priorities in providing health care to the public. (CPM)
