A public health advocacy network urged Filipinos to kick off 2025 by prioritizing the health and to help prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and mental health illnesses.

The Healthy Philippine Alliance (HPA) encouraged the public, especially the youth, to adopt healthier habits starting with replacing poor diets with nutritious ones by avoiding ultra-processed food like chips, hotdog, sweetened beverages, and other instant or ready-to-eat products and swapping them with whole foods, including more fruits and vegetables.

The HPA also emphasized the importance of drinking more water, cutting back on alcohol, avoiding smoking or vaping, staying physically active and ensuring sufficient sleep.

Alyannah Lagasca, lead convenor of the HPA Youth Network, stressed the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle in NCD prevention.

“The habits we develop in childhood and adolescence often carry over into adulthood. As we embrace and pledge for a healthier year ahead, let's remember our significant role in creating healthier environments and systems,” Lagasca said.

“By starting with ourselves and shifting towards lifestyles that promote good health and well-being, we can inspire the young, our loved ones, and peers to do the same,” said,” she added.

 Moreover, the HPA also reminded families and persons living with NCDs to stay mindful of their health, especially with the upcoming year-end feasts and celebrations, to better manage their conditions and avoid complications.

“We all want to enjoy the food and festivities for Media Noche, but NCD patients need to take extra precaution especially in terms of their diet,” Paul Mendoza, Secretary of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations and President of Psoriasis Philippines, an HPA member, said.

“We encourage them to keep an eye on their health, including their blood pressure, blood sugar or medications. It would also be best to consult with their health care provider for proper monitoring and to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations,” Mendoza added.

In the Philippines, NCDs account for 70 percent of total deaths or over 600,000 Filipinos every year.

From 22 to 30 December alone, the Department of Health logged 166 cases of stroke and acute coronary sydrome. Of which, three have died.

The World Health Organization Western Pacific Rergion report, released in October, showed that the Philippines is experiencing a worsening trend in NCD-related mortality in contrast with the Region’s decreasing numbers.

The probability of premature deaths due to NCDs likely occur among Filipinos aged 30 to 70 has also increased.

The Philippine Statistics Authority has recorded that NCDs remain to be the major cause of deaths from January to June 2024, wherein ischemic heart diseases ranked first (49,577), neoplasms or cancers came in second (27,396), cerebrovascular diseases like stroke were third (25,186), and diabetes ranked fifth (15,617).

Former health secretary Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan called on the national and local government officials to make a commitment as their New Year’s resolution “to take decisive action and implement policy interventions” addressing NCDs.

“We must protect Filipinos and their families from the burden of NCDs,” Galvez Tan, also Board Member of HealthJustice, added.