Inhabitants of Moro region live shorter life

Life expectancy in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is 10 years shorter than the national average due to lack of nutrition and basic health services, the National Demographic and Health Survey revealed.

The study noted that life expectancy among men in the region is 56 compared to the national average of 66 while women in the ARMM live till 59 years as against 72 for other women in the country.

"We have the highest and the lowest in terms of statistics. Lowest in terms of facilities and highest in mortality," noted ARMM Gov Parouk Hussin, during a health summit dedicated to address the health problems of the region held in suburban Pasay City.

Hussin even joked that he and Vice-Governor Mahid Mutilan, were "lucky" because they lived outside of the ARMM, the very reason why they survive "way beyond" what the statistics say they should.

The study, which was concluded in 2003, also showed that 320 out of 100,000 women from the ARMM die due to birth-related causes compared to the national rate of 180 deaths.

Only 21.7 per cent of these births are attended either by a doctor, nurse or midwife, according to the study. On the other hand, around 60 per cent of births elsewhere in the country are being attended by medical practitioners.

Forty-one out of every 1,000 babies who are delivered alive in the ARMM die during their first year of life while 72 out 1000 children expire before reaching their 5th birthday.

Dr Lampa Pandi, ARMM health secretary, said children in the region die of preventable diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea, tetanus, prematurity, and congenital anomalies.

Those who survive, according to the NDHS are likely to face health problems as half of ARMM children aged six months to five years are found to be anemic and are Vitamin A deficient.

The study also noted that 72 per cent of women in the ARMM encounter difficulties in having access to health services because of inadequate transport facilities and lack of availability of health centres.

Only 393 out of 2,396 communities there have a health station while only four have the Centre for Health seal or the government's quality assurance guarantee.

Pandi added that many of the region's far-flung communities remain to be untouched by the government's health services as continued hostilities threaten the lives of medical practitioners working there.