THE Davao City Health Office (CHO) anticipates that the National Immunization Program (NIP) will help reach unvaccinated children in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (Gida).
Dr. Julinda Acosta, technical services division of CHO, revealed in a media interview, on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, that some parents would walk for the whole day just to reach the nearest health center to get their children vaccinated.
These roads are often impassable by car or motorcycle.
“Maglisog diay og adto ang mga parents kay tag two rides, three rides unya mahal ra ba ang pamasahe karon so kami na nagpaduol. Gipaduol na namo ang serbisyo sa ilaha (Parents have a hard time accessing services because it usually requires two or three rides, and the fare is quite high. So, we have made an effort to bring the services closer to them),” she said.
She said that there is one health worker assigned to each barangay in Gida, however, some puroks in these barangays are very remote. Thus, they schedule vaccinations in these areas every week, and the health workers not only deliver vaccines but also provide services such as prenatal care, consultations, and family planning.
Acosta also noted that vaccine hesitancy is a factor contributing to some parents’ reluctance to vaccinate their kids. However, the number of hesitant parents has decreased, and they are now seeking help from barangay officials, healthcare workers, and other partners to understand the importance of vaccines.
She also mentioned that children who received vaccinations from private practitioners were often not included in CHO’s data. However, with improved collaboration between the private and public health sectors, private practitioners are now submitting their data to the CHO.
Dr. Tomas Miguel S. Ababon, officer-in-charge of CHO, said in his message that the summit is a significant step forward in boosting the office’s vaccination drive. He noted that they invited all 182 barangay captains or their representatives to ensure that all children in their barangays receive complete vaccinations.
“This summit that we would be talking right here karon is very important to the health of our city kay kung naa tay healthy kaayo na mga bata which means in the future healthy pod kaayo atoang mga hamtong, healthy pod ang atong sumusunod na henerasyon,” he said.
(This summit is very important to the health of our city because if we have healthy children now, it means that in the future, we will have healthy adults, and our next generation will be healthy as well).
Ababon added that the office’s goal is for every barangay in the city to not only have a barangay health worker but also a doctor. He acknowledged that this is an ambitious goal but emphasized that it would ensure the health of the entire community in the city. RGP