THE Philippines
The Philippines, a country made up of 7,000 islands with a population of 98 million, located in the western Pacific Ocean. In the past few years the country has been hit by horrendously damaging natural disasters. Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 has been deemed one of the most damaging in history to the Philippines. It was not the strongest, yet the deadliest. 4 The country’s economic situation was also hit by the natural disaster with much aid being sent from higher income countries. The Philippines is considered a low-income country.
In 1995 a national health insurance agency was created known as PhilHealth. Reforms were introduced in 2010, however the scheme receives much criticism for lacking in breadth and depth resulting in much more out-of-pocket payments. 3
Cancer is the third leading cause of death in the Philippines. The most common cancers are lung, breast, liver and cervical. 2 75% of all cancers in the Philippines occur in people over the age of 50 years. 2 There is a 14.8% of getting cancer before the age of 75. 1 Most Filipino cancer patients only seek medical assistance when cancer is in its advanced stages. Incidence in children is common with the majority of child cancer patients suffering from Leukaemia.1 In 1988 the Philippines introduced the Cancer Control Program. 2 This program aims to integrate scientific progress into treating cancer as well as to develop an efficient prevention system.
Survival rates in the Philippines are low for patients with lung cancer and highest for breast cancers. The country does have one of highest rates of smoking in men which is relevant due to the associations already proven by scientists between substances such as alcohol and tobacco with certain cancer types. 5
Asia America Initiative
VISION
Asia America Initiative is a catalyst for cross-cultural and inter-faith cooperation. We believe that peace, security and respect for human dignity are inseparable.
MISSION
AAI’s mission is to build hope and empower communities affected by armed conflict and severe poverty. Our goal is to build integrated local programs that can be replicated globally.
INTERGENERATIONAL PEACE BUILDING
Asia America Initiative is an international model for building peace through educational opportunity tied to economic development. Focusing on the youth and caring for the elderly, we bring communities together. We promote human dignity through health, education, livelihood, environment, and the arts.
The Asia America Initiative (AAI) is supported by a distinguished Board of Directors and Trustees with diverse experiences from the highest levels of Government, Business and the Academy.
Asia American Initiative (AAI)
- Address : M-5 Prince Tower 14 Tordesillas cor. Bautista St., Salcedo Village, Bel-Air, Makati city
- TeleFax : (02) 403-79-10
- E-mail : aaiph.mail@gmail.com
- Web-site : www.aaiph.org
Sources:
- http://www.cancerindex.org/Philippines
- http://jjco.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/suppl_1/S52.full
- http://www.wpro.who.int/asia_pacific_observatory/Philippines_Health_System_Review.pdf
- http://www.dec.org.uk/articles/facts-and-figures
- http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet