In 2021, the leading illness in the Philippines was acute respiratory infection, with approximately 598,591 people diagnosed with this disease. This was followed by hypertension and animal bites. The morbidity rate of acute respiratory infection per hundred thousand population in the Philippines was at nearly 543.2 in that year.

Preliminary figures for 2023 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 124,437. Following this, cancer resulted in the deaths of about 71,000 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.

In 2021, the leading illnesses among people living in the National Capital Region of the Philippines was hypertension, with over 69,453 cases. This was followed by acute respiratory infection and animal bites. Hypertension was one of the most common diseases among Filipinos.

Among non-communicable diseases in the Philippines in 2023, current health expenditure was highest on diseases of the genitourinary system (nephritis) at around 195 billion Philippine pesos. Meanwhile, spending on oral diseases reached 17.1 billion in that year.

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 2021, hypertension was the leading disease in Davao region of the Philippines, with cases amounting to around 18,786. Acute respiratory infection was the next leading disease, affecting approximately 10,473 inhabitants within the region.

In 2021, the leading illnesses in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines was animal bites, with approximately 119,342 cases. The other leading causes of morbidity in the region were hypertension and acute respiratory infection.

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.

In 2021, the leading disease in the Cagayan Valley region of the Philippines was acute respiratory infection, reaching around 65,441 cases. This was followed by hypertension, skin disease, and animal bites.

In 2021, acute respiratory infection was the leading disease in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) of the Philippines, with cases amounting to approximately 18,597. Hypertension was the next disease affecting around 12,144 inhabitants within the region.

In 2023, Singapore dominated the ranking of the world's health and health systems, followed by Japan and South Korea. The health index score is calculated by evaluating various indicators that assess the health of the population, and access to the services required to sustain good health, including health outcomes, health systems, sickness and risk factors, and mortality rates. The health and health system index score of the top ten countries with the best healthcare system in the world ranged between 82 and 86.9, measured on a scale of zero to 100.

Global Health Security Index  Numerous health and health system indexes have been developed to assess various attributes and aspects of a nation's healthcare system. One such measure is the Global Health Security (GHS) index. This index evaluates the ability of 195 nations to identify, assess, and mitigate biological hazards in addition to political and socioeconomic concerns, the quality of their healthcare systems, and their compliance with international finance and standards. In 2021, the United States was ranked at the top of the GHS index, but due to multiple reasons, the U.S. government failed to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The GHS Index evaluates capability and identifies preparation gaps; nevertheless, it cannot predict a nation's resource allocation in case of a public health emergency.

Universal Health Coverage Index  Another health index that is used globally by the members of the United Nations (UN) is the universal health care (UHC) service coverage index. The UHC index monitors the country's progress related to the sustainable developmental goal (SDG) number three. The UHC service coverage index tracks 14 indicators related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, service capacity, and access to care. The main target of universal health coverage is to ensure that no one is denied access to essential medical services due to financial hardships. In 2021, the UHC index scores ranged from as low as 21 to a high score of 91 across 194 countries.