June 30, 2019 — The Metro Manila Health Research and Development Consortium, in collaboration with Adamson University, this year’s host, held its 3rd International Symposium and 10th Annual Scientific Conference on May 23 to 24, 2019 at the Manila Hotel with a total of 171 participants composed of researchers, medical professionals, academicians, and students.
This year’s event focused on modern approaches to the prevention and management of noncommunicable disease (NCDs) being among the leading causes of mortality in the country despite their preventability.
In her keynote address, Dr. Laila D. Celino, head of the Department of Health Non-communicable Disease and Prevention Cluster National Capital Region shared the different strategies of the DOH in controlling the rising cases and NCD-related deaths.
NCDs, including heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung diseases, are responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide. Eighty two percent of the 16 million people who die before reaching the age of 70 occur in low- and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, NCDs continue to be in the top ten causes of morbidity and mortality. In the National Capital Region, cases of NCDs continue to rise based on the FHSIS reports from 2015-2017.
Under the 2015-2019 Strategic Plan for the Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Program which serves as a roadmap to NCD Prevention and Control in the NCR, Dr. Celino cited the advocacies to accelerate case detection of patients belonging to the highest risk groups that led to the early diagnosis and prompt management of patients.
She added that a total risk-approach which includes assessment, screening, risk stratification and management using the standard protocol, Philippine Package of Essential NCD Intervention (PhilPEN) is being applied to better manage patients with hypertension (HPN) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Also, free maintenance medicines for those afflicted with these illnesses are being provided to diagnosed patients.
Other strategies are organizing patients to join HPN/DM health clubs in the community, establishment of HPN and DM clubs in other government agencies, collaborating with the Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies of the NIH for the conduct of researches on NCDs in the region, and developing a Monitoring and Evaluation system which is central to the effective and efficient implementation of the NCD program in the region.
For the plenary sessions, international and local experts presented recent developments in the treatment and management of these diseases. The plenary speakers were Dr. Anurita Majumdar of Pfizer Inc; Dr. Fredrick Dermawan Purba of Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia; Dir. Aaron J. Flynn of the Emergency Management Center, Inc; Dr. Bernadette A. Tumanan-Mendoza; Dr. Frances Victoria F. Que; Prof. Maria Luisa G. Daroy; Prof. Julie Ann A. Salido; Dr. Hilton Lam; Dr. Jennifer M. Nalies; Dr. Elizabeth Paz-Pacheco; and Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel.
Several research competitions were held as part of the occasion. For the Oral Research Presentation Professional Category, the winners were Procurement of Medicines of Local Government Units in the Philippines: A Pilot Study by Mr. Allan Ulitin , Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies, UP Manila-National Institutes of Health, 1st place; Association of Lipoprotein Lipase Gene Polymorphism with Coronary Artery Disease among Filipinos by Mr. Elmer Casley Repotente Jr., Saint Luke’s Medical Center, 2nd place; and The Development of Transitional Care Model for Patients with Myocardial Infarction, Dr. Judith J. Sugay, Far Eastern University Manila, 3rd place.
For its Undergraduate Category, the winners were Antiproliferative Activity and Apoptotic Effect of Premna odorata Blanco Leaves against Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line (Hepg2), Ms. Jed Pauline C. Alvarado, Manila Central University-Filemon D. Tantioco Medical Foundation, 1st place; Cholinergic Inhibitory Characterization of Philippine Spider Venom from Phlogiellus bundokalbo for Purported Applications against Alzheimer’s Diseases, Mr. Simon Miguel M. Lopez, University of Santo Tomas, 2nd place; and Determination of Feasible Production of Xanthone from Isolated Endophytic Fundi of Garcinia mangostana L. in the Philippines, Mr. John Hermie Paul S. Cerezo, 3rd place.
