DOH-ARMM launches Violence and Injury Prevention Alliance

COTABATO CITY -- To help reduce the effects of violence and injuries to the inhabitants of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Department of Health (DOH-ARMM) today launched the Violence and Injury Prevention Alliance (VIPA) program, officials said today. According to Dr. Abdulhalik Kasim, MD, DOH-ARMM assistant secretary, the VIPA under the national government’s Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) primarily aims to reduce mortality, morbidity, and disability due to violence and injuries. Since the implementation of the program would need support from various stakeholders, foremost of which are the local government units (LGUs), there is a need to organize an alliance,” Kasim said in a statement. It also seeks to enhance the capacity of the regional offices, LGUs, and other stakeholders as well as strengthen collaboration with them for this cause. About 50 officials from Bureau of Fire Protection and Philippine National Police, employees from ARMM line agencies, and workers from health and non-government organizations were present to support the event launching. According to a 2011 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), injuries were seen to be responsible for 9 perent of all deaths with road traffic injuries claiming nearly 3,500 lives each day, making it among the 10 leading causes of mortality globally. The VIPP is the country’s adapted policy in response to WHO’s call for member states to develop measures to prevent injuries and violence. WHO has recommended that such policies, strategies and plans of action be concrete and contain objectives, priorities, timetables, and mechanisms for evaluation. In the ARMM, which is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, injuries of all forms ranked third in terms of morbidity, and injuries and accidents ranked fourth in terms of mortality in 2014. Dr. May Ann Sta. Lucia, VIPP coordinator at DOH-Region VI, said pre-hospital emergency medical service system will effectively address the magnitude of day-to-day emergencies, thus, the alliance will help augment this lapse. Region VI, or Western Visayas, launched VIPP in 2014 as the program’s pilot area in the country. The DOH-ARMM will be the focal agency responsible for designing, coordinating, and integrating plans, programs and strategies and activities of VIPP. The VIPA will oversee the effective and efficient implementation of the programs that are geared towards injury and violence prevention.