This document provides an overview of the Essential Health Care Program (EHCP) in the Philippines. It discusses the program's goals of improving hygiene among public school children through daily handwashing with soap, toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste, and twice yearly deworming. It outlines the key players involved, including the Department of Education, UNICEF, Procter & Gamble, and partners. It also describes the implementation of EHCP in schools, including the construction of handwashing facilities and roles of teachers, principals, health personnel, and other stakeholders. The goals are to improve student health and reduce absenteeism, with the ultimate goal of improving educational outcomes.

1. An Overview of the Essential
Health Care Program (EHCP)

2. ENROLMENT IN ELEMENTARY LEVELS
NATIONAL LEVEL
Total Enrolment SY 2009-2010:
• Elementary pupil 13,085,307
10 DIVISIONS
Total Enrolment per Division SY 2009-2010 - 1,002,669
• Aurora 37,159 1%
• Tarlac 133,520 2%
• Camarines Norte 98,061 2%
• Guimaras 23,870 1%
• Antique 90,152 2%
• Cebu City 102,459 2%
• Northern Samar 118,456 2%
• Zamboanga del Sur 128,405 2%
• Davao City 185,121 2%
• Sarangani 85,466 2%

3. MOST COMMON FINDINGS
AMONG PRE-ELEM PUPILS
(HNC 2009 ANNUAL REPORT)
55.6
53.1
34.2
31.9
24.2
23.2
10.2
6.1
0.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
%
Findings

4. MOST COMMON FINDINGS AMONG
ELEMENTARY PUPILS
(HNC 2009 ANNUAL REPORT)
71.7
18.6
14.3
9.0 6.6
5.8 5.4 3.2 0.3
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
%

5. 19%
17%
17%
14%
11%
9%
8%
3% 1%1% Dental Caries
Colds/Nasal
Discharge
Pale
Conjunctiva/Pallor
Cervical
Lymphadenopathies
Parasitism
Pediculosis
Cough
Impacted Cerumen
Tinea Flava
Ear Discharge
10 MOST COMMON AILMENTS
Davao City Division

6. Infectious Diseases
• Diarrhea kills 2 million children around
the world every year
• Pupils are in danger of contracting
new/emerging diseases like A(H1N1) or
swine flu, skin & eyes infection, SARS
and Avian flu

7. Intestinal Worm Infection
• At least 20 million Filipinos are affected
• The body of an infected person cannot
absorb food properly which leads to
malnutrition
• Pre-school and elementary students are
the most vulnerable members of the
population

8. Causes of Ailments
• Poor personal hygiene
• Poor environmental sanitation
• Lack of access to clean water and basic
sanitation facilities

9. Oral Health Problem in the
Philippines
• Tooth ache is one of the main reasons
for absenteeism from school
• School children have the highest level
of oral health disease worldwide

10. Among 6 year olds
Results of the National Oral Health Survey, 2006
• 97% have dental caries
• 85% suffer from severe
dental decay with pulp
involvment.
• 20% express a problem in
their mouth

11. In 12 year olds
• Caries prevalence of 82.4%
• 50 % suffer from severe
dental decay with pulp
involvement
• 1 decayed tooth with pulp
involvement per child.
• 16% express a problem in
their mouth
Toothache is the main reason for absenteeism in school

12. Dental caries could develop into severe osteomyelitis.

13. Millennium Development Goals
• Contributes to attainment of MDG
• Achieve universal primary education
• Reduce neglected childhood diseases and
thereby the risk to other major diseases
• Develop global partnership for development

14. Why Focus on Schools
• The place where children, parents and the
community gather
• Children spend most of their time in schools
• The ideal place to institutionalize behavioral
change and to institute preventive programs

15. Use of School Structure
• Teachers serve as role models to children
• School personnel can be trained to implement
and monitor health programs
• Schools provide quality manpower to ensure
proper implementation

16. 16
Doped Addresses health and nutrition
problems and issues through the
INTEGRATED SCHOOL HEALTH AND
NUTRITION PROGRAM
 Health and Nutrition Services
 School Oral Health Program 
EHCP
 TB Prevention and Control Program
 Comprehensive Health Care
Package for Teachers and NTP

17. 17
Doped Addresses health and nutrition
problems and issues through the
INTEGRATED SCHOOL HEALTH AND
NUTRITION PROGRAM
 Supplementary Feeding Program
 School-Based Alay Tanim Program
 Health and Nutrition Education
 School-Based HIV/AIDS Education
Program
 National Drug Education Program

18. HealthManpower
School Physicians - 149
MD: PupilRatio 1 : 111,254
School Dentists - 707
DMD: Pupil Ratio 1 : 27,768
Dental Aides - 567
Public Health Nurses - 3,254
PHN: Pupil Ratio 1 : 5,265
NutritionistDietitians - 29
(basedat R.O.)

19. German NGO and DepED-MIs Or.
History of EHCP
Developed a five year Oral Health
Program
City Gov’t of CDO Fluoride Toothbrushing with Fluoride
Program
NOHSCIM, Inwent, UP 2005
EHCP-Mis Or.2007Provincial Health Budget
19 ProvincesGTZ
Launching of EHCP in Cristo Rey,
Capas West, Tarlac
Linis Lusog Kids
Cong. Jeci Lapus
UNICEF & GMA Kapuso
2008
2009
UNICEF & P & G
Launching of Clean Hands, Healthy
Teeth Project in Camiling Tarlac2010

20. 20
ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE PROGRAM (EHCP)
Program aims to improve the hygiene practices of
public school children
Legal basis- DepEd Order No. 65 & 66 s. 2009
Implementation/Institutionalization of EHCP &
Construction of Water and Handwashing Facilities
Jointly implemented by DepEd, UNICEF, P&G and
partners

21. 21
Essential Health Care Program
• Daily handwashing with soap
• Daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste
• Twice a year deworming of all children

22. Impact
• Improve the health status of the children:
– Increase school attendance by 20% and
thereby improving academic
Performance
– Dental Caries reduction by 20%
– Reduction in incidence of diarrhea by 10%
– Drop out rate in the target schools will be
reduced by 2%
• Improve school retention

23. 23
KEY PLAYERS
 Doped – enhance children’s health and
learning environment
 UNICEF – water and sanitation
CPC VI areas
 Procter and Gamble Phil. Inc. - Products
Toothbrush
Polly paste
soap deworming
tablets
Cost of EHCP per Child/Year
Php25.00

24. 24
EHCP Outputs:
 1 M children  soap annually
 330,000 with oral health kits annually
 1,000 PES  IEC materials
 9,000 school heads, PTAs, health pax and
supervisors oriented
 3,104 PES  constructed dental troughs
and handwashing facilities

25. 25
SCOPE OF EHCP
A. Provision of health kits
 Health kit (for one SY only)
 soap
 fluoride toothpaste
toothbrush
 Soap only for other years of
implementation
 Advocacy for sustainability

26. 26
SCOPE OF EHCP
B. Communication for Development of
Handwashing and Hygiene Practices
 Baseline survey on KAP
 Core advocacy messages
 Posters, flip charts, video
 Curriculum integration of messages

27. 27
SCOPE OF EHCP
C. Capacity Building
 Targets – supervisors, school heads,
teachers, health personnel, parents,
LGU
 Content
 What, Where, How, Who, When
- facilities
- baseline

28. 28
SCOPE OF EHCP
D. Construction of Handwashing and
Toothbrushing Facilities
 School’s counterpart thru LGU, PTA, NGO
E. Monitoring, Research and Evaluation
 Baseline Survey’s – environmental
sanitation and KAP
 Periodic monitoring ( with carry-over to
homes)
 Recording and Reporting
 Impact Evaluation

29. 29
Supplementary/Complementary
Services/Activities
 Health and Nutritional Assessment
 Health Examination
 Height & Weight Taking (NS)
 Treatment and referrals
 Deworming
 Values Development
 Waiting for one’s turn
Water conservation
 ETC

30. Role of the SDS
• Ensure implementation of DepED Orders No.
65 and No. 66
• Oversee the overall implementation of the
project
• Showcase Basic Education Sector Reform
Agenda (BESRA) and use the program to
strengthen linkage to the local government
• Ensure sustainability of the program through
partnerships with LGUs/NGOs

31. Role of District Supervisor
• Oversee the over-all implementation of the
project within his district
• Initiate Stakeholders Forum
• Submit Baseline data to Health and
Nutrition Center

32. Role of the Principal
• Call for PTA assembly for proper
information of parents and teachers on
the EHCP
• Ensure that handwashing with soap and
toothbrushing with fluoride are made
part of the daily school activities
• Link with LGUs and other stakeholders to
provide or improve access to water

33. Role of the Principal
• Ensure availability and distribution of
EHCP supplies
• Communicate with health personnel and
classroom teachers for feedback
purposes to improve program
implementation

34. Role of the Teacher
• Facilitate and guide the daily activities
• Empower children to take leadership role and
responsibility

35. Role of the Teacher
• Ensure availability of water, toothpaste and
soap
• Assist in the administration of deworming
tablets
• Ensure that habits are internalized
• Ensure that Monitoring Sheet will be
accomplished

36. Role of the Health Personnel
• Conduct a basic orientation on EHCP to parents
and teachers
• Teach the children proper handwashing with
soap and toothbrushing with fluoride
• Follow-up School
Environmental
Health Survey

37. Role of the Health Personnel
• Monitor and give feedback to teachers and
to the principal on the EHCP implementation
status
• Provide teachers and parents with needed
information about deworming

38. Role of the PTA
• Facilitate the construction of the washing facilities
and provision of toothbrush holders
• Lobby for access to water & sanitation in the
school, LGU and the community

39. Role of Parents
• Participate in PTA assembly and sign
consent forms for deworming

40. Role of Parents
• Be a role model by practicing handwashing
with soap and toothbrushing with fluoride at
home
• Provide soap, toothbrush and toothpaste at
home so that children can practice these
activities daily.

41. Role of Children
• Remind the teacher when it is time for
handwashing with soap and toothbrushing
with fluoride, and lead the formation of
classmates during these activities
• Maintain cleanliness of
the facilities
• Assist the teacher in
implementation and
monitoring
• Report difficulties to the
teacher

42. Role of Children
• Demand parents to buy and use soap and
toothpaste at home
• Remind mother, grandparents, caregiver, older
sister to wash hands before preparing the food
• Influence younger
siblings to wash hands at
critical moments and
remind them to brush
their teeth, especially
before going to bed.

43. Role of Stakeholders
• Commit financial sustainability of the program
• Provide funding for the timely procurement of
EHCP materials
• Ensure the proper implementation of EHCP
thru regularly monitoring on their part

44. Creating a School Facility
• Encourages children to develop good and
healthy habits
• Paves the way for behavioral change
• Highlights the importance of water and
improved sanitation

45. Strategies For Sustainability
• Seek out local government counter-part
funding to private sector contributions to
their public schools
• Strengthen resource mobilization capacity
• Increase marketing of packages to specific
target groups
• Increase collaboration between private
sector and local government units

46. Strategies For Sustainability
• Promote community involvement for
education.
• Build and sustain better relationships
between and among partners, schools,
local government units and DepEd.
• Establish efficient admin, logistical and staff
support mechanisms for the
implementation of projects.

47. Strategies For Sustainability
• Increase media presence through media
networking.
• Request LGU’s to include in their budgetary
allocation of the EHCP in their Annual
Operating Plan(AOP)
• Include EHCP in School Based Management
(SBM) – School Improvement Plan(SIP) and
Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) of the
School.

48. Thank You!