The Department of Health (DOH) Regional Office MIMAROPA held the First Regional Health Education and Promotion Officer Summit last 29 to 31 August in Batangas City, Batangas.
The theme focused on Empowering Communities through Health Literacy, wherein the vital role of health education in ensuring the enhancement of health conditions within and beyond the region is highlighted.
As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power,” we can make individuals and communities better against health risks by instilling knowledge through the improvement of access, understanding, appraisal, and application of health information.
While having a high literacy rate is one source of pride among Filipinos, this cannot be said for health literacy.
Many people advised to take certain medication do not actually take them as advised. When they do take medication, they do not keep them on the recommended time of frequency. This can be traced with lack of knowledge on health issues, lack of access to health services, distrust against health workers, and even personal or cultural preferences. In turn, low health literacy makes sick people worse. Both in the national and the global scale, this remains a prevailing issue. Therefore, it is within the jurisdiction of HEPOs and IOs to connect the people with the best possible health care.
The three-day summit featured various topics and issues ranging from DOH priority programs to work being done by the private sector in support of said programs. In his opening message, DOH MIMAROPA Regional Director Mario S. Baquilod said, “Health literacy is vital in providing better health services.
This summit on health literacy is timely considering the challenges we had for the past few months. This is the HEPO’s primary role – to disseminate and provide valid information. It is critical for people when coming up with health decisions, and influencing their health-seeking behaviors, because if there are delays, the incidence of diseases would be high.”
Among the topics discussed in the lecture-based fora include the thrusts of DOH to achieve universal health care, as exhibited by programs such as the FOURmula One Plus (F1+) for Health, the Red Orchid Awards for smoke free communities, and the Purple Ribbon Awards for expanding the coverage of reproductive health care. Also included are national and global perspectives of health promotion, as well as the development of dynamic and innovative health promotion strategies in community engagement.
Besides the fora, different activities were also lined up to build rapport between and secure commitment from health education and promotion officers (HEPO), information officers (IO), and partner agencies working in the five provinces of MIMAROPA.
Ms. Romalyn P. Racho, Health Education and Promotion Officer III of DOH MIMAROPA, caps the summit as follows, “The ability to communicate the health messages effectively with our beloved MIMAROPANS who have low health literacy depends on our ability to recognize this problem, and to create patient-centered, culture sensitive, and acceptable health promotion strategies. I certainly believe that the HEPOs and the IOs of MIMAROPA, together with our partners, we will serve as catalysts for change in promoting and sustaining the health of our people.”