LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) approved Provincial Ordinance No. 2024-67 on July 29 to fully realize the 8-Point Action Agenda on Health dubbed “Ligtas, Dekalidad, at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo” and bolster Pangasinan’s immunization program.
With Board Member Dr. Shiela Marie Baniqued as the main author, the ordinance aimed to institutionalize the National Immunization Program (NIP) Reaching Every Purok (REP) strategy, implement intensified efforts, and attain the ‘Primary Care Tracer Performance Indicators by 2028 of Fully Immunized Children’ to 95% from 69.83% in 2023.
“The Province of Pangasinan pursues a comprehensive healthcare approach with emphasis on preventive healthcare services by adhering to Republic Act 10152, otherwise known as the Mandatory Infants and Children Immunization Act of 2011, which mandates compulsory basic immunization services for infants and children five years old and below,” the ordinance stated.
To help accelerate efforts globally, a “Big Catch-Up” initiative was launched in 2023, wherein a coordinated effort was made to support countries in planning and implementing intensified efforts through a three-pronged approach as follows: 1) Catch-up. Reaching children who missed vaccination during the years 2020–2022, including the 2019 zero-dose and under-immunized children; 2) Restoring immunization programs. Restore vaccination coverage in 2023 to at least 2019 coverage levels, and 3) strengthen immunization systems within primary health care to improve program resilience and resume the IA2030 goals and targets.
As disclosed in Article 2, Section 2, of the ordinance, the Province of Pangasinan has set its sights on ensuring the general health and well-being of all its constituents and communities by protecting the people from “vaccine-preventable diseases” by directing all local government units (LGUs) to implement the REP strategy.
Immunization coverage has been decreasing over the years, with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recognizing the Philippines as one of the countries with the highest number of unimmunized children.
As such, the REP strategy will be institutionalized at all levels of health implementation to include data disaggregation and analysis; the conduct of rapid convenience monitoring; making and reviewing the LGU map; making a micro plan with local leaders; session planning and conduct of immunization outreach activities; working with the community and tracking defaulters; and monitoring and self-check. A bottom-up process for formulating the barangay, municipality, city, and provincial microplans will also be established.
“The Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act of 2011 (RA No. 1052) mandates the state to take a proactive role in the preventive health care of infants and children by adopting a comprehensive, mandatory, and sustainable immunization program for vaccine-preventable diseases for all infants and children,” the ordinance cited.
(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)
