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Addressing deaths

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According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, COVID-19 has dropped out of the top 10 leading causes of death in the country.

Based on latest PSA data released earlier this week, COVID-19 with “virus identified” was the 11th leading cause of death from January to September 2022, with 9,749 cases which accounts for 2.3 percent of the total death toll. COVID-19 deaths with virus “not identified” ranked 19th, with 4,134 or 1 percent of total cases.

The PSA classifies COVID-19 fatalities as “virus identified” if the cause of death was confirmed through a laboratory test while “virus not identified” refers to probable or suspected cases.

“This is good news for us,” Maria Rosario Vergeire, Department of Health officer in charge said at a press briefing on Wednesday. “This signifies that… we are able to already prevent further deaths [due] to this disease.”

The country saw the COVID-19 death count jump to its highest level two years ago when it ranked third among the leading causes of death in 2021 at more than 74,000 deaths. At the time, Delta was the most virulent COVID-19 strain, causing record high infections at a time when vaccines were not yet widely accessible.

Despite the decreasing threat posed by the coronavirus, Vergeire warned against complacency.

She added that the country is returning to the “old trends” of non-communicable diseases, or chronic diseases caused by genetic factors or unhealthy behaviors becoming the leading cause of deaths among Filipinos.

With COVID-19 finally on the decline, thanks to the immunity we built up through vaccination and constant vigilance, our DOH can shift its focus to the non-communicable diseases that have been the concern before the pandemic struck. After the hectic three years of constantly facing an unprecedented global health crisis, our health officials can now turn their attention to providing Filipinos with the screening and necessary treatments, as well as encouraging healthier lifestyles, in order to prevent these common causes of death that have been hounding Filipinos for decades.*

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