Cooperative efforts between private medical and government health sectors in the Philippines through maternal and child health services

This paper describes how the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, a private institution, has joined hands with two entities of the Department of Health, in its extension projects to various provinces and rural areas. These two offices in the government are the Office of Health Education and Personnel Training and the Division of Maternal and Child HealthThe projects consist of Training Programs on Maternal and Child Health in the Institute in Quezon City and in the field (Health Regions 2 and 7) and also Extension Services in the provinces (Rehydration Centers and Pediatric Teams). All these represent cooperative efforts between private medical and government health groups in carrying out health activities for the country. (Summary)

Rehydration centers in seven pilot areas in the Philippines

In 1963 the Childrens Medical Center, Philippines, has embarked on a more practical, realistic, and aggressive participation in reducing the incidence and deaths from diarrheas, than it has done in the past. We have felt that persistently high morbidity and mortality statistics for diarrheas warrant something more than short post-graduate courses or seminars on diarrheas for practitioners or treatments of dehydrated patients in this hospitalThus since December 1963 we have organized two pediatric teams of five members each and we have extended our experiences and current knowledge of the management of diarrhea to seven pilot areas in the country, namely Leyte del Sur, Marinduque, Mindoro, Jolo, La Union, Cagayan and SorsogonBesides the curative aspects of diarrheas with emphasis on the establishement of rehydration centers, the objectives of the present project include prevention and seeking of epidemiologic information and etiologic factors, both contributory and exciting. Awareness of a more concetrated attack on diarrheal disease and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to its control is brought into focus. (Summary)

Mass screening of tuberculosis among Filipinos by the Heaf test and its comparison with the Mantoux test

1. In 1962 and 1963 a study was conducted by the authors to determine the usefulness and practicality of the Heaf test for mass screening of tuberculosis2. The study group consisted of children and adults attending 7 public and 2 private schools and institutions in Manila and Quezon City as well as in towns and barrios in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Rizal and Bulacan. A total of 7,920 individuals were tested3. The Heaf test was positive in 24.2% of 7,920 children and adults tested4. Reactors to the Heaf test vary in different localities thus: in cities these reached, 22% in towns 27% and in barrios 21%5. The reactor group was found to increase proportionately with icreasing age, which is the usual finding in almost any tuberculin survey by any test used6. In this study, we observed the equivalent of reactions for Heaf and Mantoux tests. Thus, a reaction of 1 to 6 papules to Heaf test is the equivalent of a "soft","erythema" or an induration of less than 10 millimeters by Mantoux which is the accepted positive reaction in the Philippines, has a corresponding 10 mm. induration by Heaf7. The two tests have a high percentage of agreement being 71.6% to 92% in 10 TU and 5 TU, (96%) in which the precentage of disagreement was 4%8, Taking into account the case and convenience of testing, a reasonable overall cost, and the finding of a high percentage of agreement with the standard Mantoux test, this study gives basis for recommending the Heaf test as a mass screening test for tuberculosis. (Summary)

Physicochemical factors affecting the breeding of Anopheles minimus var. flavirostris

A selected number of physicochemical factors were studied to determine their effect upon the breeding of A. minimus var. flovirostris, the chief vector of malaria in the Philippines. To this end, a comparison was made between one portion of a stream found to be constantly positive for A. minimus and another portion of the same stream consistently negative for the larvae of this mosquito. Comparisons were also made between two positive and two negative wells. The results of a total of 233 observations indicate the preference of A. minimus for water of high purity with high oxygen but low carbon dioxide contents. (Summary and conclusions)