When COVID-19 began spreading in Metro Manila and throughout her neighborhood, Evangeline Zamora became worried. As a senior citizen with co-morbidities, Mrs. Zamora knew she was at particular risk. But along with worries about catching COVID-19, and like many residents of Parañaque City in similar circumstances, she had another concern: how would she receive her routine medications for managing her co-morbidities if it was too risky to make a trip to the barangay health center?
The situation of Mrs. Zamora wasn’t unique. Around 8 million adults 65 years and older have experienced difficulties with access to health facilities and services, due to anxiety associated with contracting COVID-19 and also due to movement restrictions in the country. On top of that, staying home and following COVID-19 prevention measures are particularly challenging for families living and working in crowded areas, where living spaces and access to water is limited.
Evangeline Zamora is one of the senior citizens trained in Parañaque City to use telehealth services through the initiative piloted by WHO with the barangay health center for her timely delivery of maintenance medications. Photo: WHO/A De Leon
Local government units and development organizations began prioritizing activities that protect the most vulnerable from the spread of the disease, including lower-income urban residents. Reports from health officials suggested that residents in dense urban communities receive inconsistent information on the means of transmission for COVID-19 and the steps to stay safe.
In close coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), the Local Government Unit (LGU) and the City Health Office (CHO) of Parañaque City, the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Philippines and its development partners held a series of consultative sessions with community leaders in three barangays: Sto Niño, Moonwalk, and Vitalez, which have a combined population of over 108,000 people.
Empowering them with the right messages around COVID-19 prevention and providing them with useful tools like information kits and prevention kits enabled them to protect themselves and stay healthy.
Around 880 high-risk households in the three barangays also received COVID-19 prevention kits. Each kit contained soap, hand sanitizer, face masks, face shields, reusable water bottles, and a brochure with COVID-19 key messages.
In the case of Mrs. Zamora and other senior citizens, she learned to coordinate the purchase and delivery of medicines online. Through the risk communications initiatives of the program, she and others also learned about the importance of wearing a mask, hand hygiene, physical distancing, and other personal safety measures.
WHO donated computer units to three barangay health centers in Parañaque City
to build their capacity on telehealth. Photo: WHO/A De Leon
Community leaders were also trained on how to enforce the minimum public health standards. Community leader Ma. Teresa Bermas has noticed the change in her neighborhood after the outreach programs. She said that they are now wearing masks wherever they go. Physical distancing is also practiced. She proudly shares that there are no cases in their community since the rollout of the programs.
Now, several months later, the initiative carried out in Parañaque City has shown how empowering communities brings success in the fight against COVID-19. Local health officials continue to support the communities, and the results of initial interventions have exceeded expectations. The number of community leaders was over double the target number and the number of LGU officials engaged was triple the target.
“This is an example of our efforts to reach at-risk low- and middle-income communities, especially those living in close settings and unable to protect themselves and their communities,” said Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to the Philippines. “The key is to work through people they know and trust, so the community at large is empowered to protect itself and stay healthy. Whether it’s community leaders or neighborhood organizations, we are ready to support community-owned efforts to protect the Philippines through better implementation of minimum public health measures and rollout of vaccines.”
This pilot project by WHO was supported through a grant from KOFIH. It was implemented with development partners Relief International and the Center for Policy Studies, which helped facilitate community-based interventions in Parañaque City.
About WHO response in the Philippines
Throughout the pandemic, the World Health Organization has been supporting the Department of Health (DOH) and its sub-national units with technical expertise on expansion of diagnostic capacity, early contract tracing and management, expansion of healthcare pathways and strengthening surveillance systems, and risk communications and community engagement.