Jone Satorre is nostalgic when he recalls his work as a logistics officer in a shipping company. Back in the day, he worked long hours in a fast-paced environment.
Life is quite different now for Tatay Jone – as he is fondly called – who mostly spends his days sitting in an old wooden chair at his family house in San Joaquin, Iloilo.
His life changed in 2018, when one morning, he felt numbness in his arms and legs after taking a shower. Tatay Jone suffered a stroke. “With my condition, how can I even afford to work now?” he said.
Tatay Jone had to quit his job as he dealt with the physical effects of stroke. He still suffers from muscle weakness in his arms and legs that makes mundane tasks challenging. He also has a hard time remembering things.
“Somebody needs to carry and accompany me when I need to go to the restroom. I can no longer eat properly by myself,” he said.
Tatay Jone felt frustrated about his situation because he did not want to be a burden to his family and the people around him.
Without a steady income, Tatay Jone avoided consulting health care providers. He would rather prioritize the needs of his ailing bedridden mother and his family’s daily expenses.
Tatay Jone is one of over 12 million Filipinos diagnosed with hypertension. Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is one of the leading risk factors globally for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
Premature deaths from NCDs are common in low-and middle-income countries. Around 70% of all deaths worldwide are caused by NCDs including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease. In the Philippines, NCDs caused 68% of deaths in 2019.
During a check-up before Tatay Jone received his COVID-19 vaccine, community health workers found his blood pressure was still way above normal. He also suffers from rheumatism.
“I am having a hard time moving my knees because they are swollen. On chilly nights, my joints, neck, and shoulders hurt,” he added.
After finding out about Tatay Jone’s condition, the barangay health unit sent community health workers to regularly monitor his blood pressure and provide medicines to control his hypertension. His blood pressure is checked three times a week at the comfort of his home.
“I mainly rely on the assistance of the local government unit. [The community health workers] always remind me to take my maintenance medication regularly, have good sleeping habits, and avoid eating fatty and salty food. I still walk slowly, but I try my best to move around a bit whenever I can,” Tatay Jone said.
Thanks to his family and the community workers who help him manage his condition, Tatay Jone’s mobility has improved.
His advice to younger people is to look after their health by limiting alcohol and eating a healthy diet.
“If you have a healthy body, you have a healthy life. This way, you can work and support your family,” Tatay Jone said.
A community health worker from San Joaquin, Iloilo asks Tatay Jone about his diet and intake of medicines after checking his blood pressure. © WHO Philippines
The draft Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control in the Western Pacific, which will be discussed at this year’s Regional Committee Meeting of the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasizes the economic impact of NCDs on patients.
The cost of NCD treatments can leave patients in extreme poverty, affecting their ability to continue their treatment, maintain healthy lifestyles and find jobs to support their families. In addition, the socio-economic consequences of NCDs aggravate health inequities especially in low-and middle-income countries like the Philippines.
Dr Huong Thi Giang Tran, Director, Division of Programmes for Disease Control, WHO Western Pacific Region, said “A disease treatment-centered approach to healthcare will intensify health disparities and socio-economic burden to patients who are greatly affected by NCDs. What we need is a social system that proactively supports the development of environments and settings that provide services to facilitate healthy behaviours and increase life expectancy.”
Important elements in reducing the toll of NCDs are early diagnosis and management, and strengthened collaboration among agencies.
To support the Philippine Government in reducing premature mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), WHO Philippines in partnership with Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) launched the Healthy Hearts Programme. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme continued to promote hypertension control in District 1 of Iloilo province in collaboration with the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development Western Visayas, where Tatay Jone lives.
Barangay health workers from seven municipalities in District 1 in Iloilo province show their pledge on helping beat NCDs in their communities. © WHO Philippines
Community health workers like Violeta Gicana, President of the Western Visayas Barangay Health Workers (BHW) Federation, are critical in “reaching the unreached” in terms of NCD services.
“As our role as BHWs evolves over time, we hope to receive much-needed support from initiatives such as the Healthy Hearts Programme and partners at our local government and rural health units so we become better advocates for health in the communities we serve.”
Representatives from World Health Organization and officials from the Iloilo Provincial Government, led by Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., pose with community health workers working at the Health Hearts Programme sites in District 1, Iloilo Province. © WHO Philippines