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Wednesday. September 13, 2017
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THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) clarified that the decision of the Supreme Court issued on April 26, 2017 on the temporary restraining order (TRO) of subdermal contraceptives recertification and ban on implants has not become permanent. The high court merely noted that DOH and the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) must now comply with the April 26 decision.
The TRO on this contentious part of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law will be lifted once FDA has determined that implants and other contraceptives are non-abortifacient. It is expected that by the end of this month, FDA will issue its findings on all contraceptives and certifications will be issued.
While waiting, the public must know that available supplies of contraceptives may still be accessed through rural health units as well as partner hospitals and non-government service providers. Once the TRO is lifted, people can be assured that the provisions of the RPRH Law will be implemented without restraints and in full compliance, according to DOH.
We hope so. For decades the lack of a national policy that provides comprehensive services on reproductive health and family planning is one of the major reasons why maternal mortality rate has not declined. Efforts of the government have thus failed to meaningfully address the poor’s lack of access to health services, particularly on reproductive health.
Indeed, through the years, access to family planning services remains a challenge. For example, the 2011 Family Health Survey showed that between 2006 and 2011, maternal mortality rate increased from 162 to 221. This meant that the number of Filipino mothers who died in childbirth had risen from 162 in 2009 to 221 in 2011 per 100,000 live births. Too close and too frequent pregnancies, coupled with lack of services were causing the deaths of poor women. This is what we’ve got for dilly-dallying on the reproductive health measure – an alarming increase in maternal deaths.
The full implementation of the RPRH Law may not totally address all maternal health related issues, but it will help solve the lack of access to reproductive health and family planning education and services among women, especially the poor.
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