MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), a pharmaceutical firm and various health advocacy groups on Tuesday inked a partnership with 12 provincial governments as part of efforts to combat chronic kidney disease (CKD).
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., AstraZeneca Philippines country president Lotis Ramin, Diabetes Philippines immediate past president Dr. Francis Pasaporte, and representatives from various health groups and provincial government units signed a memorandum of understanding on the expansion of the Addressing Complications Today through Network of Warriors (ACT NOW) for CKD program in Mandaluyong City.
Under the program, the ACT NOW for CKD program will be expanded to the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo in Western Visayas, as well as Quirino, Aurora, Cavite, Quezon, Sorsogon, Samar, Cebu, Zamboanga del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Sarangani.
Over one million Filipinos will benefit of the free Urine Albumin Creatinine Ratio (UACR) test as part of CKD screening and prevention.
“The program aims to help fight cardio-renal complications of diabetes and hypertension, create further awareness on CKD through risk factor identification, and early screening,” Abalos said in his speech.
Abalos said local government units (LGUs) can make a big difference in fighting CKD, citing that about 2.3 million Filipinos are suffering from the disease.
“This is what LGUs can do and I promise you we can add this to the seal of good of local governance as one of the indicators, in so doing we take care of our people, we take care of our children and we take care of our health,” Abalos said.
The program was previously rolled out in Baguio, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, San Fernando (La Union), and Pampanga.
“I was informed that one machine will be serving 20,000 patients; and in the 12 provinces, this machine and all will be serving close to one million patients… That is why [it is ] important to note that for each patient… spending P3,000 to P4,000 per test in ordinary hospitals, so there will be a lot of savings,” Abalos stressed. (PNA)/PN
