DSWD-7 vows to support DOH immunization efforts

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-7 has underscored the crucial role of immunization as it vows to help the Department of Health strengthen immunization efforts in the country.

During the recently-concluded 2024 Regional Immunization Summit of the DOH-7, DSWD-7 regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero highlighted their efforts to improve access to immunization while implementing its various programs and services for Filipino families.

One program, Lucero stressed, is the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which is DSWD’s poverty-alleviation program that provides cash transfers to poor households while improving the health and nutrition of young children and mothers.

According to Lucero in a statement, 297,030 active households are beneficiaries of the 4Ps, and 52,369 are children ages 0-5 years old, who have monitored children of the 4Ps.

To be able to receive the cash grants, 4Ps beneficiaries must comply with the conditions of the program, which include immunization of the 0 to 5-year-old children from local health centers.

This also includes weight monitoring, pre and postnatal check-ups for pregnant women, and child delivery in a birthing center, along with their attendance at Family Development Sessions.

Lucero said that the department emphasizes the conditions for the beneficiaries to become responsible for their family's health and educational needs.

Aside from the 4Ps, DSWD takes care of children temporarily placed under residential care facilities and monitors social welfare and development agencies who take custody of vulnerable, neglected, abandoned and surrendered children.

DSWD provides these children with survival needs, which include immunization.

Further, DSWD also ensures that LGUs promote the roles and responsibilities of parents and responsibilities effectively in terms of child development, health, and parenting challenges, among others, by capacitating local social welfare and development officers (LSWDO) in the conduct of parent effectiveness sessions in their respective communities.

Lucero said that sharing these interventions and efforts done by the department will ensure that the advocacy of the health department will reach more communities.

“We will continue to advocate that they should invest in their health and get protected from preventable diseases through immunization. Not only to these targeted groups but also to families covered by other programs of DSWD," Lucero said.

With this shared responsibility, DSWD assured DOH that it remains committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 3 and ensures that Filipinos attain a healthy well-being. – ATO CEBU NEWS