Preliminary figures between January to September 2024 indicated that ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in the Philippines. The number of people who died from this illness was estimated at 75,500. Following this, cancer resulted in the deaths of about 43,000 people. Eating habits Heart diseases have been linked to high meat consumption, among others. In the Philippines, pork has been the most consumed meat type, followed closely by chicken. While pork meat is typically produced domestically, the country also imports pork to supplement its supply. However, plant-based food has started gaining popularity among Filipinos. In fact, a 2024 survey revealed that 69 percent of surveyed Filipinos consumed plant-based products, including meat alternatives. Common diseases in the Philippines Aside from heart and cerebrovascular diseases, the Filipino population is also exposed to infections, diabetes, skin diseases, and illnesses resulting from high meat consumption. In 2020, over 700,000 Filipinos contracted acute respiratory tract infections, followed by over 400,000 diagnosed with hypertension. In areas with high exposure to rain, dengue infections and leptospirosis have also become prevalent.

Philippines PH: Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data was reported at 67.300 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 67.200 % for 2015. Philippines PH: Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 66.450 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2016, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67.300 % in 2016 and a record low of 56.500 % in 2000. Philippines PH: Cause of Death: by Non-Communicable Diseases: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Cause of death refers to the share of all deaths for all ages by underlying causes. Non-communicable diseases include cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, skin diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, and congenital anomalies.; ; Derived based on the data from WHO's Global Health Estimates.; Weighted average;

Cause of death, by non-communicable diseases (% of total) in Philippines was reported at 69.75 % in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Cause of death, by non-communicable diseases (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

In 2021, the morbidity rate per 100,000 population of acute respiratory infection was approximately ***** in the Philippines. By comparison, the morbidity rate of heart diseases per 100,000 people was **** in the country.

Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions (% of total) in Philippines was reported at 24.28 % in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Cause of death, by communicable diseases and maternal, prenatal and nutrition conditions (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

According to preliminary data between January and October 2024, *** percent of deaths in the Philippines were caused by remainder of diseases of the genitourinary system. Although deaths from such illness had increased until 2020, it has fluctuated since then. The remainder of diseases of the genitourinary system include congenital abnormalities, iatrogenic injuries, and disorders such as infection, and inflammation.

Philippines PH: Mortality Rate Attributed to Unsafe Water, Unsafe Sanitation and Lack of Hygiene: per 100,000 Population data was reported at 4.200 Ratio in 2016. Philippines PH: Mortality Rate Attributed to Unsafe Water, Unsafe Sanitation and Lack of Hygiene: per 100,000 Population data is updated yearly, averaging 4.200 Ratio from Dec 2016 (Median) to 2016, with 1 observations. Philippines PH: Mortality Rate Attributed to Unsafe Water, Unsafe Sanitation and Lack of Hygiene: per 100,000 Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank: Health Statistics. Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene is deaths attributable to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene focusing on inadequate WASH services per 100,000 population. Death rates are calculated by dividing the number of deaths by the total population. In this estimate, only the impact of diarrhoeal diseases, intestinal nematode infections, and protein-energy malnutrition are taken into account.; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).; Weighted average;

2020 saw a surge in malaria-related deaths in the Philippines - the highest in the past 12 years. From just ** deaths in 2009, this figure rose to *** in the current reporting period. The highest number of deaths nationwide was recorded in the region of MIMAROPA.

Malaria is an infectious disease typically transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and is common in tropical countries such as the Philippines.

Dataset and data dictionary for the published paper.

PurposeThis study was performed to determine the clinical biomarkers and cytokines that may be associated with disease progression and in-hospital mortality in a cohort of hospitalized patients with RT-PCR confirmed moderate to severe COVID-19 infection from October 2020 to September 2021, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic before the advent of vaccination.Patients and methodsClinical profile was obtained from the medical records. Laboratory parameters (complete blood count [CBC], albumin, LDH, CRP, ferritin, D-dimer, and procalcitonin) and serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, IFN-γ, IP-10, TNF-α) were measured on Days 0-3, 4-10, 11-14 and beyond Day 14 from the onset of illness. Regression analysis was done to determine the association of the clinical laboratory biomarkers and cytokines with the primary outcomes of disease progression and mortality. ROC curves were generated to determine the predictive performance of the cytokines.ResultsWe included 400 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection, 69% had severe to critical COVID-19 on admission. Disease progression occurred in 139 (35%) patients, while 18% of the total cohort died (73 out of 400). High D-dimer >1 µg/mL (RR 3.5 95%CI 1.83–6.69), elevated LDH >359.5 U/L (RR 1.85 95%CI 1.05–3.25), lymphopenia (RR 1.91 95%CI 1.14–3.19), and hypoalbuminemia (RR 2.67, 95%CI 1.05–6.78) were significantly associated with disease progression. High D-dimer (RR 3.95, 95%CI 1.62–9.61) and high LDH (RR 5.43, 95%CI 2.39–12.37) were also significantly associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Nonsurvivors had significantly higher IP-10 levels at 0 to 3, 4 to 10, and 11 to 14 days from illness onset (p

The 2013 NDHS is designed to provide information on fertility, family planning, and health in the country for use by the government in monitoring the progress of its programs on population, family planning and health. In particular, the 2013 NDHS has the following specific objectives: • Collect data which will allow the estimation of demographic rates, particularly fertility rates and under-five mortality rates by urban-rural residence and region. • Analyze the direct and indirect factors which determine the level and patterns of fertility. • Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by method, urban-rural residence, and region. • Collect data on health, immunizations, prenatal and postnatal check-ups, assistance at delivery, breastfeeding, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea, fever and acute respiratory infections among children below five years old. • Collect data on environmental health, utilization of health facilities, health care financing, prevalence of common non-communicable and infectious diseases, and membership in the National Health Insurance Program (PhilHealth). • Collect data on awareness of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dengue fever and tuberculosis. • Determine the knowledge of women about AIDS, and the extent of misconception on HIV transmission and access to HIV testing. • Determine the extent of violence against women.

Philippines PH: Mortality Rate Attributed to Household and Ambient Air Pollution: per 100,000 Population data was reported at 185.200 Ratio in 2016. Philippines PH: Mortality Rate Attributed to Household and Ambient Air Pollution: per 100,000 Population data is updated yearly, averaging 185.200 Ratio from Dec 2016 (Median) to 2016, with 1 observations. Philippines PH: Mortality Rate Attributed to Household and Ambient Air Pollution: per 100,000 Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Philippines – Table PH.World Bank: Health Statistics. Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution is the number of deaths attributable to the joint effects of household and ambient air pollution in a year per 100,000 population. The rates are age-standardized. Following diseases are taken into account: acute respiratory infections (estimated for all ages); cerebrovascular diseases in adults (estimated above 25 years); ischaemic heart diseases in adults (estimated above 25 years); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults (estimated above 25 years); and lung cancer in adults (estimated above 25 years).; ; World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository (http://apps.who.int/ghodata/).; Weighted average;

The 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (2008 NDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 13,594 women age 15-49 from 12,469 households successfully interviewed, covering 794 enumeration areas (clusters) throughout the Philippines. This survey is the ninth in a series of demographic and health surveys conducted to assess the demographic and health situation in the country. The survey obtained detailed information on fertility levels, marriage, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of women and young children, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, and knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Also, for the first time, the Philippines NDHS gathered information on violence against women. The 2008 NDHS was conducted by the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO). Technical assistance was provided by ICF Macro through the MEASURE DHS program. Funding for the survey was mainly provided by the Government of the Philippines. Financial support for some preparatory and processing phases of the survey was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Like previous Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in the Philippines, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) was primarily designed to provide information on population, family planning, and health to be used in evaluating and designing policies, programs, and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country. The 2008 NDHS also included questions on domestic violence. Specifically, the 2008 NDHS had the following objectives: Collect data at the national level that will allow the estimation of demographic rates, particularly, fertility rates by urban-rural residence and region, and under-five mortality rates at the national level. Analyze the direct and indirect factors which determine the levels and patterns of fertility. Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by method, urban-rural residence, and region. Collect data on family health: immunizations, prenatal and postnatal checkups, assistance at delivery, breastfeeding, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea, fever, and acute respiratory infections among children under five years. Collect data on environmental health, utilization of health facilities, prevalence of common noncommunicable and infectious diseases, and membership in health insurance plans. Collect data on awareness of tuberculosis. Determine women's knowledge about HIV/AIDS and access to HIV testing. Determine the extent of violence against women. MAIN RESULTS FERTILITY Fertility Levels and Trends. There has been a steady decline in fertility in the Philippines in the past 36 years. From 6.0 children per woman in 1970, the total fertility rate (TFR) in the Philippines declined to 3.3 children per woman in 2006. The current fertility level in the country is relatively high compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, where the TFR is below 2 children per woman. Fertility Differentials. Fertility varies substantially across subgroups of women. Urban women have, on average, 2.8 children compared with 3.8 children per woman in rural areas. The level of fertility has a negative relationship with education; the fertility rate of women who have attended college (2.3 children per woman) is about half that of women who have been to elementary school (4.5 children per woman). Fertility also decreases with household wealth: women in wealthier households have fewer children than those in poorer households. FAMILY PLANNING Knowledge of Contraception. Knowledge of family planning is universal in the Philippines- almost all women know at least one method of fam-ily planning. At least 90 percent of currently married women have heard of the pill, male condoms, injectables, and female sterilization, while 87 percent know about the IUD and 68 percent know about male sterilization. On average, currently married women know eight methods of family planning. Unmet Need for Family Planning. Unmet need for family planning is defined as the percentage of currently married women who either do not want any more children or want to wait before having their next birth, but are not using any method of family planning. The 2008 NDHS data show that the total unmet need for family planning in the Philippines is 22 percent, of which 13 percent is limiting and 9 percent is for spacing. The level of unmet need has increased from 17 percent in 2003. Overall, the total demand for family planning in the Philippines is 73 percent, of which 69 percent has been satisfied. If all of need were satisfied, a contraceptive prevalence rate of about 73 percent could, theoretically, be expected. Comparison with the 2003 NDHS indicates that the percentage of demand satisfied has declined from 75 percent. MATERNAL HEALTH Antenatal Care. Nine in ten Filipino mothers received some antenatal care (ANC) from a medical professional, either a nurse or midwife (52 percent) or a doctor (39 percent). Most women have at least four antenatal care visits. More than half (54 percent) of women had an antenatal care visit during the first trimester of pregnancy, as recommended. While more than 90 percent of women who received antenatal care had their blood pressure monitored and weight measured, only 54 percent had their urine sample taken and 47 percent had their blood sample taken. About seven in ten women were informed of pregnancy complications. Three in four births in the Philippines are protected against neonatal tetanus. Delivery and Postnatal Care. Only 44 percent of births in the Philippines occur in health facilities-27 percent in a public facility and 18 percent in a private facility. More than half (56 percent) of births are still delivered at home. Sixty-two percent of births are assisted by a health professional-35 percent by a doctor and 27 percent by a midwife or nurse. Thirty-six percent are assisted by a traditional birth attendant or hilot. About 10 percent of births are delivered by C-section. The Department of Health (DOH) recommends that mothers receive a postpartum check within 48 hours of delivery. A majority of women (77 percent) had a postnatal checkup within two days of delivery; 14 percent had a postnatal checkup 3 to 41 days after delivery. CHILD HEALTH Childhood Mortality. Childhood mortality continues to decline in the Philippines. Currently, about one in every 30 children in the Philippines dies before his or her fifth birthday. The infant mortality rate for the five years before the survey (roughly 2004-2008) is 25 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 34 deaths per 1,000 live births. This is lower than the rates of 29 and 40 reported in 2003, respectively. The neonatal mortality rate, representing death in the first month of life, is 16 deaths per 1,000 live births. Under-five mortality decreases as household wealth increases; children from the poorest families are three times more likely to die before the age of five as those from the wealthiest families. There is a strong association between under-five mortality and mother's education. It ranges from 47 deaths per 1,000 live births among children of women with elementary education to 18 deaths per 1,000 live births among children of women who attended college. As in the 2003 NDHS, the highest level of under-five mortality is observed in ARMM (94 deaths per 1,000 live births), while the lowest is observed in NCR (24 deaths per 1,000 live births). NUTRITION Breastfeeding Practices. Eighty-eight percent of children born in the Philippines are breastfed. There has been no change in this practice since 1993. In addition, the median durations of any breastfeeding and of exclusive breastfeeding have remained at 14 months and less than one month, respectively. Although it is recommended that infants should not be given anything other than breast milk until six months of age, only one-third of Filipino children under six months are exclusively breastfed. Complementary foods should be introduced when a child is six months old to reduce the risk of malnutrition. More than half of children ages 6-9 months are eating complementary foods in addition to being breastfed. The Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) guidelines contain specific recommendations for the number of times that young children in various age groups should be fed each day as well as the number of food groups from which they should be fed. NDHS data indicate that just over half of children age 6-23 months (55 percent) were fed according to the IYCF guidelines. HIV/AIDS Awareness of HIV/AIDS. While over 94 percent of women have heard of AIDS, only 53 percent know the two major methods for preventing transmission of HIV (using condoms and limiting sex to one uninfected partner). Only 45 percent of young women age 15-49 know these two methods for preventing HIV transmission. Knowledge of prevention methods is higher in urban areas than in rural areas and increases dramatically with education and wealth. For example, only 16 percent of women with no education know that using condoms limits the risk of HIV infection compared with 69 percent of those who have attended college. TUBERCULOSIS Knowledge of TB. While awareness of tuberculosis (TB) is high, knowledge of its causes and symptoms is less common. Only 1 in 4 women know that TB is caused by microbes, germs or bacteria. Instead, respondents tend to say that TB is caused by smoking or drinking alcohol, or that it is inherited. Symptoms associated with TB are better recognized. Over half of the respondents cited coughing, while 39 percent mentioned weight loss, 35 percent mentioned blood in sputum, and 30 percent cited coughing with sputum. WOMEN'S STATUS Women's Status and Employment.

In 2021, the leading illnesses among people living in the National Capital Region of the Philippines was hypertension, with over ****** cases. This was followed by acute respiratory infection and animal bites. Hypertension was one of the most common diseases among Filipinos.

The 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 13,945 women age 15-49 and 5,009 men age 15-54. The main purpose of the 2003 NDHS is to provide policymakers and program managers with detailed information on fertility, family planning, childhood and adult mortality, maternal and child health, and knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. The 2003 NDHS also collects high quality data on family health: immunizations, prevalence and treatment of diarrhea and other diseases among children under five, antenatal visits, assistance at delivery and breastfeeding. The 2003 NDHS is the third national sample survey undertaken in Philippines under the auspices of the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys program. The 2003 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is designed to provide upto-date information on population, family planning, and health to assist policymakers and program managers in evaluating and designing strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country. In particular, the 2003 NDHS has the following objectives: Collect data at the national level, which will allow the calculation of demographic rates and, particularly, fertility and under-five mortality rates. Analyze the direct and indirect factors that determine the level and trends of fertility. Indicators related to fertility will serve to inform plans for social and economic development. Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by method, urban-rural residence, and region. Collect data on knowledge and attitudes of women and men about sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS and evaluate patterns of recent behavior regarding condom use. Collect high-quality data on family health, including immunizations, prevalence and treatment of diarrhea and other diseases among children under five, antenatal visits, assistance at delivery, and breastfeeding.

In 2021, diarrhea and gastroenteritis of presumed infectious origin was the leading cause of mortality among children aged one to four years old in the Philippines. The number of deaths caused by such disease amounted to 611. The other major causes of child mortality in the country were remainder diseases of sepsis, other tuberculosis, as well as respiratory tuberculosis.

This dataset contains data from WHO's data portal covering the following categories:

Adolescent, Ageing, Air pollution, Assistive technology, Child, Child mortality, Cross-cutting, Dementia diagnosis, treatment and care, Environment and health, Foodborne Diseases Estimates, Global Dementia Observatory (GDO), Global Health Estimates: Life expectancy and leading causes of death and disability, Global Information System on Alcohol and Health, Global Patient Safety Observatory, Global strategy, HIV, Health financing, Health systems, Health taxes, Health workforce, Hepatitis, Immunization coverage and vaccine-preventable diseases, Malaria, Maternal and newborn, Maternal and reproductive health, Mental health, Neglected tropical diseases, Noncommunicable diseases, Nutrition, Oral Health, Priority health technologies, Resources for Substance Use Disorders, Road Safety, SDG Target 3.8 | Achieve universal health coverage (UHC), Sexually Transmitted Infections, Tobacco control, Tuberculosis, Vaccine-preventable communicable diseases, Violence prevention, Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), World Health Statistics.

For links to individual indicator metadata, see resource descriptions.

Abstract

The 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (2008 NDHS) is a nationally representative survey of 13,594 women age 15-49 from 12,469 households successfully interviewed, covering 794 enumeration areas (clusters) throughout the Philippines. This survey is the ninth in a series of demographic and health surveys conducted to assess the demographic and health situation in the country. The survey obtained detailed information on fertility levels, marriage, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of women and young children, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, and knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Also, for the first time, the Philippines NDHS gathered information on violence against women.

The 2008 NDHS was conducted by the Philippine National Statistics Office (NSO). Technical assistance was provided by ICF Macro through the MEASURE DHS program. Funding for the survey was mainly provided by the Government of the Philippines. Financial support for some preparatory and processing phases of the survey was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Like previous Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in the Philippines, the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) was primarily designed to provide information on population, family planning, and health to be used in evaluating and designing policies, programs, and strategies for improving health and family planning services in the country. The 2008 NDHS also included questions on domestic violence. Specifically, the 2008 NDHS had the following objectives:

• Collect data at the national level that will allow the estimation of demographic rates, particularly, fertility rates by urban-rural residence and region, and under-five mortality rates at the national level.
• Analyze the direct and indirect factors which determine the levels and patterns of fertility.
• Measure the level of contraceptive knowledge and practice by method, urban-rural residence, and region.
• Collect data on family health: immunizations, prenatal and postnatal checkups, assistance at delivery, breastfeeding, and prevalence and treatment of diarrhea, fever, and acute respiratory infections among children under five years.
• Collect data on environmental health, utilization of health facilities, prevalence of common noncommunicable and infectious diseases, and membership in health insurance plans.
• Collect data on awareness of tuberculosis.
• Determine women's knowledge about HIV/AIDS and access to HIV testing.
• Determine the extent of violence against women.

MAIN RESULTS

FERTILITY

Fertility Levels and Trends. There has been a steady decline in fertility in the Philippines in the past 36 years. From 6.0 children per woman in 1970, the total fertility rate (TFR) in the Philippines declined to 3.3 children per woman in 2006. The current fertility level in the country is relatively high compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, where the TFR is below 2 children per woman.

Fertility Differentials. Fertility varies substantially across subgroups of women. Urban women have, on average, 2.8 children compared with 3.8 children per woman in rural areas. The level of fertility has a negative relationship with education; the fertility rate of women who have attended college (2.3 children per woman) is about half that of women who have been to elementary school (4.5 children per woman). Fertility also decreases with household wealth: women in wealthier households have fewer children than those in poorer households.

FAMILY PLANNING

Knowledge of Contraception. Knowledge of family planning is universal in the Philippines- almost all women know at least one method of fam-ily planning. At least 90 percent of currently married women have heard of the pill, male condoms, injectables, and female sterilization, while 87 percent know about the IUD and 68 percent know about male sterilization. On average, currently married women know eight methods of family planning.

Unmet Need for Family Planning. Unmet need for family planning is defined as the percentage of currently married women who either do not want any more children or want to wait before having their next birth, but are not using any method of family planning. The 2008 NDHS data show that the total unmet need for family planning in the Philippines is 22 percent, of which 13 percent is limiting and 9 percent is for spacing. The level of unmet need has increased from 17 percent in 2003.

Overall, the total demand for family planning in the Philippines is 73 percent, of which 69 percent has been satisfied. If all of need were satisfied, a contraceptive prevalence rate of about 73 percent could, theoretically, be expected. Comparison with the 2003 NDHS indicates that the percentage of demand satisfied has declined from 75 percent.

MATERNAL HEALTH

Antenatal Care. Nine in ten Filipino mothers received some antenatal care (ANC) from a medical professional, either a nurse or midwife (52 percent) or a doctor (39 percent). Most women have at least four antenatal care visits. More than half (54 percent) of women had an antenatal care visit during the first trimester of pregnancy, as recommended. While more than 90 percent of women who received antenatal care had their blood pressure monitored and weight measured, only 54 percent had their urine sample taken and 47 percent had their blood sample taken. About seven in ten women were informed of pregnancy complications. Three in four births in the Philippines are protected against neonatal tetanus.

Delivery and Postnatal Care. Only 44 percent of births in the Philippines occur in health facilities-27 percent in a public facility and 18 percent in a private facility. More than half (56 percent) of births are still delivered at home. Sixty-two percent of births are assisted by a health professional-35 percent by a doctor and 27 percent by a midwife or nurse. Thirty-six percent are assisted by a traditional birth attendant or hilot. About 10 percent of births are delivered by C-section.

The Department of Health (DOH) recommends that mothers receive a postpartum check within 48 hours of delivery. A majority of women (77 percent) had a postnatal checkup within two days of delivery; 14 percent had a postnatal checkup 3 to 41 days after delivery.

CHILD HEALTH

Childhood Mortality. Childhood mortality continues to decline in the Philippines. Currently, about one in every 30 children in the Philippines dies before his or her fifth birthday. The infant mortality rate for the five years before the survey (roughly 2004-2008) is 25 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 34 deaths per 1,000 live births. This is lower than the rates of 29 and 40 reported in 2003, respectively. The neonatal mortality rate, representing death in the first month of life, is 16 deaths per 1,000 live births. Under-five mortality decreases as household wealth increases; children from the poorest families are three times more likely to die before the age of five as those from the wealthiest families.

There is a strong association between under-five mortality and mother's education. It ranges from 47 deaths per 1,000 live births among children of women with elementary education to 18 deaths per 1,000 live births among children of women who attended college. As in the 2003 NDHS, the highest level of under-five mortality is observed in ARMM (94 deaths per 1,000 live births), while the lowest is observed in NCR (24 deaths per 1,000 live births).

NUTRITION

Breastfeeding Practices. Eighty-eight percent of children born in the Philippines are breastfed. There has been no change in this practice since 1993. In addition, the median durations of any breastfeeding and of exclusive breastfeeding have remained at 14 months and less than one month, respectively. Although it is recommended that infants should not be given anything other than breast milk until six months of age, only one-third of Filipino children under six months are exclusively breastfed. Complementary foods should be introduced when a child is six months old to reduce the risk of malnutrition. More than half of children ages 6-9 months are eating complementary foods in addition to being breastfed.

The Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) guidelines contain specific recommendations for the number of times that young children in various age groups should be fed each day as well as the number of food groups from which they should be fed. NDHS data indicate that just over half of children age 6-23 months (55 percent) were fed according to the IYCF guidelines.

HIV/AIDS

Awareness of HIV/AIDS. While over 94 percent of women have heard of AIDS, only 53 percent know the two major methods for preventing transmission of HIV (using condoms and limiting sex to one uninfected partner). Only 45 percent of young women age 15-49 know these two methods for preventing HIV transmission. Knowledge of prevention methods is higher in urban areas than in rural areas and increases dramatically with education and wealth. For example, only 16 percent of women with no education know that using condoms limits the risk of HIV infection compared with 69 percent of those who have attended college.

TUBERCULOSIS

Knowledge of TB. While awareness of tuberculosis (TB) is high, knowledge of its causes and symptoms is less common. Only 1 in 4 women know that TB is caused by microbes, germs or bacteria. Instead, respondents tend to say that TB is caused by smoking or drinking alcohol, or that it is inherited. Symptoms associated with TB are better recognized. Over half of the respondents cited coughing, while 39 percent mentioned weight loss, 35 percent

In the Philippines' CARAGA region, the morbidity rate of acute watery diarrhea per 100,000 population was approximately ***** in 2021. Other leading diseases with high morbidity rates within the region were pneumonia and hypertension.

It is estimated that around **** percent of the population in the United States has been diagnosed with an infectious disease. Infectious diseases are caused by bacteria, viruses and other organisms and can be spread from person to person, through insect or animal bites, or through contaminated food or water. Some of the most common infectious diseases include HIV/AIDS, influenza, malaria, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is one of the most well-known infectious diseases worldwide. There are currently almost ** million people worldwide living with HIV and it is responsible for just under a million deaths per year. HIV treatment has improved dramatically over the last few decades but access to treatment varies. The poorer regions of the world still suffer disproportionately from HIV with the majority of those infected living in Africa.

Tuberculosis

Like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis also impacts the poorer regions of the world more than developed nations. Tuberculosis impacts the lungs of those infected and is currently the tenth leading cause of death worldwide. The countries with the highest incidence rates of tuberculosis include India, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In India alone tuberculosis was responsible for around ******* deaths in 2018.