In a determined effort to combat heart disease, the provincial government of La Union has ramped up its health initiatives, as announced by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Herminigildo Velasco on February 21, 2025. The campaign, part of the AYAT Medical Mission, has been actively engaging communities across the province.
Throughout 2024, La Union’s Provincial Health Office (PHO) organized 39 medical missions, reaching out to various barangays and serving a total of 6,134 individuals. A significant 57% of these beneficiaries were from marginalized and vulnerable groups living in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas. These missions provided essential free medications such as Losartan, Amlodipine, Trimetazidine, Carvedilol, and Clopidogrel, aimed at treating hypertension and related conditions.
The impact of these efforts is evident in the health statistics. The number of cardiovascular patients in La Union decreased from 20,872 in 2023 to 19,195 in 2024. More notably, mortality rates from heart disease saw a significant drop from 1,369 in 2023 to 664 in 2024. Common causes of cardiovascular deaths identified include myocardial infarction, hypertension, and cardiopulmonary arrest.
Dr. Velasco expressed cautious optimism about these figures, stating, “While the numbers are still a concern, the reduction is a hopeful indication of the results of our health governance.”
In addition to community outreach, the PHO has extended its healthy heart campaign to educational institutions, utilizing the Department of Health’s Pinggang Pinoy nutrition guide to promote balanced and healthy diets. This initiative is particularly crucial as the youngest cardiovascular patient in the province is only nine years old. Dr. Velasco emphasized the importance of addressing poor eating habits, a leading cause of heart disease, alongside other risk factors like a sedentary lifestyle and smoking or vaping.