Doing Our Part

Clean Water, Hygiene, & Sanitation

To eradicate Polio has been Rotary’s staple as a leading non-profit organization making a difference at a global scale. In fact, they were the ones who championed the complete eradication of the said disease in the Philippines in 1999. However, in October 2019, new cases of polio were recorded - surprising the Department of Health which immediately declared an outbreak of the said disease. Current DOH Secretary Francisco Duque cited “poor immunization coverage,” lack of sanitation and proper hygiene, and poor surveillance by health workers as reasons as to why the disease has returned.

A recent report from DOH revealed that out of 142 water samples that were tested, 26 (25 from the National Capital Region, and one from Davao City) tested positive for polio -- placing the residents living near these bodies of water at risk of acquiring said disease. While local government units and private groups are working together to perform social mobilization, health and hygiene promotion, and health education, only few of these groups have addressed the root cause of the problem inaccessibility to clean water.

Disadvantaged communities in Lanao del Sur and Davao City have started receiving centralized sources of clean water, while residents are taught to address problems in poor hygiene and lack of sanitation. However, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of providing clean water to all Filipinos.

According to the WHO, around 1 in 10 Filipinos still do not have access to improved water sources. In 2016 alone, one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the Philippines was acute watery diarrhoea, claiming over 139 000 lives. The inadequate and intermittent water supply in the Philippines is a serious problem because when water is scarce, people are often forced to rely on drinking water sources that may not be safe. They may also lack sufficient water for basic hygiene - to wash themselves and their clothes, and to prevent infection including from foodborne and waterborne diseases. Organizations, like Rotary and Rotaract, are vital in serving as aid in these kinds of problems.

Healthcare Facilities

The shortage of hospitals and surgical equipment are the primary barriers to quality healthcare in the Philippines. Almost half of Filipinos residing in rural areas have little to no access to quality healthcare facilities. Meanwhile, some areas that are fortunate to be near facilities sometimes are ill-equipped with broken medical devices, and have no licensed medical doctors to attend to their needs.

Another report from WHO revealed that “many health centres lack sanitation service, basic facilities for hand hygiene and safe segregation and disposal of health care waste. ” These are crucial to preventing infections, reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance and providing quality care, particularly for safe childbirth.

The shortage of medical equipment including hospital beds is so bad that according to the World Bank, the Philippines in general only has 1 bed per 1000 people. This is in comparison to our neighboring countries in ASEAN with 11 to 13 beds per 1000 people. On top of this, six out of 10 Filipinos die without seeing a doctor, according to a study conducted by the University of the Philippines. The high cost of health care in the country prevents people from accessing life-saving services, and drowns families further into poverty.

These are just some of the issues surrounding disease prevention in the country. As you see, there are multiple ways for organizations to contribute. With our experience with the pandemic, the return of polio, and continuously rising cases in other kinds of diseases, the country’s efforts, together with our assistance, must be doubled in order to ensure that the most vulnerable sector of our communities - the poor, children, and elderly - are protected from preventable diseases and have access to properly and quality healthcare..

As the youth, we are at an impressive advantage as we are equipped with powerful tools such as social media which make it easy for us to influence more people into pitching in donation drives; to spread disease prevention awareness; and to connect with the rest of the world to work hand in hand towards a world that is safe and healthy. Remember, in Rotaract, any time is a good time to help. Besides, there really is no perfect time to help. Educate yourself, friends, clubmates, and families about disease prevention; and together, start something today.