Several barangay health workers in Mandaluyong were recently gathered by pharmaceutical company Unilab Inc. for its “Huwag Palalain, Ubo ay Supilin” seminar, teaching Filipinos to take precautions against cough, which can be infectious or a sign of an underlying condition.

The event last weekend, which was organized in cooperation with the City Health Department under Dr. Arnold Abalos, featured a talk by Dr. Roy Julian, Universal Health Care Coordinator for the Health System Support Division of Mandaluyong City, on the causes and treatments of different kinds of cough.

“A cough is a natural defense mechanism of the body and can be useful in expectorating a foreign body. However, when it becomes prolonged, chronic, and comes with difficulty breathing, consultation with a health professional is needed,” Dr. Julian said.

He added that in the local setting, there are two extremes when it comes to coughs and consultations.

“One is the patients don’t mind the cough and hope that it will go away on its own. The second way of dealing with a cough is even though the cough is already chronic, and the patient is already becoming thin and underweight, they still don’t consult with a doctor. That is what we term as poor health-seeking behavior,” he said.

“Training conducted by Solmux Advance with Zinc is very helpful. It helps to empower the BHWs with the right information that they can share with the community. Even though we have health centers, the doctors and nurses cannot reach every corner of the community. That is the importance of our BHWs who are on the ground,” he added.

Unilab Inc.’s Solmux Advance with Zinc—an upgraded version of Solmux is an innovative product that combines Carbocisteine and Zinc to provide optimal efficacy in alleviating cough with phlegm associated with respiratory tract disorders, including acute bronchitis.

Health expertise to communities

Solmux Brand Manager Leevan Fong shared, “Even after the pandemic, there are still a lot of people who are confused or misinformed about a cough. The majority of people in the country get help and guidance on healthcare from their health centers, particularly from our barangay health workers. We decided to reach out to them so they can cascade the right information about cough to more people. Along with this, we have introduced Solmux Advanced with Zinc, which is a powerful combination of Carbocisteine that causes phlegm to melt, making it easier to cough up and expel, while Zinc helps boost immunity and functions as an antioxidant, to address complex cough conditions.”

She said BHWs are very valuable to community health initiatives, being barangays' secret weapons, who are at the frontlines and know the conditions in the areas that they cover.

“Lectures and seminars such as this help them to be updated and knowledgeable about how to approach a disease, stop its spread, and to protect themselves as well,” says Dr. Arnold Abalos, City Health Officer, Mandaluyong City.