September 06, 2010

Diagnosing Mindanao

Published on April 10, 2007 | no comment

• Introducing: Mindanao Today
• More troops arriving in Mindanao
• The Role of Third Parties in the Mindanao Peace Process

Most Affected. Poor families in the rural areas, such as this father and his two children, are most affected by the lack of resources for health. (davaotoday.com photo)

Mothers feeding their infants with condensed milk. A flea from a buffalo is considered a cure for toothache. The sick crossing rivers and climbing mountains to get to a nearest hospital. Most pregnant women not being able to see a midwife, let alone a doctor. These are the stories from poor communities that a health group gathered in its attempt to diagnose the state of people’s health in Mindanao.

By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY � The conventional wisdom is that, poverty being so widespread in the Philippines, the state of health of poor Filipinos leaves much to be desired. In Mindanao, where most of the country�s poorest provinces are located, the problem is particularly more acute.

A recent survey conducted by the nongovernment health group Community Based Health Services Association (CBHSA) affirmed many of the sad realities of the Philippine health care system, particularly in Mindanao. Many of the afflictions Mindanaoans suffer were preventable, the study found out, but these diseases became chronic and incurable because of the widespread poverty and lack of health services.

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Diagnosing Mindanao

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