DOH urges HIM industry to “Go4Health”
Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin of the Department of Health’s National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) introduces Pilipinas Go4Health to delegates of the Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Services Congress 2013.
(Manila, Philippines, November 25, 2013) — The Department of Health (DOH) urged the healthcare information management (HIM) industry to make a commitment to living a healthy lifestyle at the recently concluded Healthcare Information Management Services Outsourcing Congress (HIMOSC).
Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin, division chief and officer-in-charge of DOH’s National Center for Health Promotion (NCHP) encouraged healthcare outsourcing industry leaders and executives to become advocates of Pilipinas Go4Health, a nationwide healthy lifestyle movement spearheaded by DOH.
Launched in June, the movement aims to engage Filipinos from all walks of life to live a healthy lifestyle by making a personal commitment to physical activity (Go Sigla), proper nutrition (Go Sustansya), and the prevention or cessation of smoking and alcohol (Go Smoke-free and Go Slow sa Tagay). It is also DOH’s response to the alarming increase of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) rates in the country.
“An unhealthy lifestyle is one of the causes of NCDs,” Dr. Escartin said. “With Pilipinas Go4Health, we can control the number of cases and prevent deaths.”
Escartin cited data from studies and surveys by the DOH, World Health Organization (WHO), and Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). An estimated 10 Filipinos die every hour due to first- and second-hand smoking; 22.3 percent of adult Filipinos are overweight; and 24 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds are already drinkers.
Quoting the movement’s pledge, Escartin said, “We believe that every Filipino has the right to a healthy country. As the lead healthy lifestyle advocate, we work hand-in-hand with different sectors to provide options for healthy living and making it accessible to as many as possible.”
Escartin, addressing more than 200 key executives and stakeholders of the local HIM sector, said: “That is why we urge you, your companies, your people, to join us in our fight against NCDs brought (about) by unhealthy lifestyle that most of us have. Be one of the thousands of individuals who are committed to making Philippines a healthier place.”
Dr. Penny Lauchangco, president of the Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (HIMOAP), said, “Delivering healthcare information management services, just like any other job, comes with work-related stress that can lead to unhealthy lifestyle. Pilipinas Go4Health is a reminder for us that our workforce’s health is of utmost importance because they are our biggest asset.”
For more information about Pilipinas Go4Health, log on to www.go4health.ph.
About Pilipinas Go4Health
Pilipinas Go4Health is the nationwide healthy lifestyle movement spearheaded by the Department of Health (DOH) and its partners. It aims to inform and encourage Filipinos from all walks of life to practice a healthy lifestyle by making a personal commitment to physical activity, proper nutrition, and the prevention or cessation of smoking and alcohol consumption. Through the movement, DOH and its partners work together to promote and establish a sustainable environment for healthy living.
