The need to come up with databases and information systems that can ease access to research information, for benchmarking, research, policy, programming and related purposes, inspired the development of HERDIN NeOn. HERDIN NeOn is a specialized network of documentation and information centers which hosts electronic collection or database of bibliographic entries of published and unpublished health researches in the Philippines.

Thus, the Central Luzon Health Research and Development Consortium (CLHRDC) conducted a one-day appreciation training and seminar on the use of this important research resource last December 6, 2013 at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando, Pampanga. It was attended by librarians and I.T. personnel from the CLHRDC – member institutions.

Ms. Joana J. Angostora, Mr. Ronel D. Molina and Ms. Maylene B. Marco from the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) provided lectures regarding the establishment of HERDIN NeOn System in the country, its benefits, current status and where it’s headed to. This was followed by an actual demonstration where participants were given the chance to upload health research articles to the system.

As of December 2013, 59 institutions are linked to HERDIN nationally, 5 of which region 3, namely: Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), Bulacan State University (BulSU), Republic Central Colleges (RCC), Tarlac State University (TSU) and University of the Assumption (UA). A total of 5,295 articles have been uploaded to the database where Region 3 contributed 11 articles (10 from BPSU and 1 from TSU).

With this training, CLHRDC hopes to encourage its member institutions to organize their health research information to help institutionalize the updating of the national health research information database using the system.

The participants during their hands-on activity using the HERDIN NeOn System

First published here on Friday, 13 December 2013 07:38.

Republic Act 10532, also known as the Philippine National Health Research System Act of 2013 was signed into law by President Noynoy Aquino last May 7, 2013. The law seeks to institutionalize the Philippine Naional Health Research System to improve the quality of life of the Filipino people through health research and development activities.

The joint effort of the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the Department of Health through the memorandum initiated in 2003 have provided avenues for health research development in the country. With the 17 regional health research and development consortia all over the Philippines, a more apt and strong collaboration among the academe, health care providers, medical institutions, government agencies and local government units is sought.

Under the new law, the PNHRS shall be comprised of a governing council whose chairmen are the secretaries of the Department of Science and Technology and Department of Health. Members are the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, the chancellor of thd University of the Philippines-Manila, the Executive Director of the National Nutrition Council, Director of the Philippine Council fir Health Research and Development and five representatives from the private sector.

"The establishment of the PNHRS has become necessary to ensure that the Filipinos will reap the immediate benefits of health research study being conducted in the country, " says Dr. Jaime Montoya, Executive Director of the PCHRD, in his presentation of the PNHRS Law during the 7th PNHRS Week celebration in Laoag, Ilocos Norte last August 7-9, 2013.

Dr. Montoya added that the passing of the PNHRS into law will facilitate faster conduct of studies with increased collaboraion without having to worry about changing administrations.

Originally posted at http://www.caragahealthresearch.org/2013/08/pnoy-signs-pnhrs-law.html

Date Monday, August 19, 2013

The human race have long experienced the wrath of nature. The ancient  Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Mayans and European populations among other primeval inhabitants during the four centuries of the Little Ice Age were all distressed by nature's climatic cycles. Disasters and disease outbreaks occurred repeatedly in response to the extremes of climatic cycles from drought to flooding to extreme cool climate.

Cool, wet summers led to outbreaks of an illness called St. Anthony's Fire in Central Europe. Malnutrition led to a weakened immunity to a variety of illness. Even in non-tropical areas where malaria was less likely to be expected, became one of the most dreaded illness and caused significant number of deaths in England.

In 1969, when the Apollo moon shot provided extraordinary images of the earth suspended in space, people's view on  the biosphere and its limits were transformed. People gained more understanding on how both human and animal species depend on supplies of food and water, freedom from excess infectious disease, and the physical safety and comfort conferred by climatic stability, that the world’s climate system is fundamental to this life-support.

However today, massive outbreaks of climate-induced diseases continue to threaten the population. Humankind's activities are altering the world's climate.  We are increasing the atmospheric concentration of energy-trapping gases, thereby amplifying the natural "greenhouse effect" that makes the Earth habitable.

 In its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, the UN's  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that there is a new and stronger evidence that most of the global warming observed over the last decade is attributable to human activities. Furthermore, IPCC states that Eleven of the last twelve years (1995-2006) rank among the twelve warmest years in the instrumental record of global surface temperature (since 1850). The temperature increase is widespread over the globe and is greater at higher northern latitudes. . Observations since 1961 show that the average temperature of the global ocean has increased to depths of at least 3000m and that the ocean has been taking up over 80% of the heat being added to the climate system. New analyses of balloonborne and satellite measurements of lower- and mid-tropospheric temperature show warming rates similar to those observed in surface temperature.

At continental, regional and ocean basin scales, numerous long-term changes in other aspects of climate have also been observed. Trends from 1900 to 2005 have been observed in precipitation amount in many large regions. Some extreme weather events have changed in frequency and/ or intensity over the last 50 years.

Now, we are experiencing once more the environmental consequences of climate change, such as extreme heat waves, rising sea-levels, changes in precipitation resulting in flooding and droughts, intense hurricanes, and degraded air quality which affect directly and indirectly the physical, social, and psychological health of humans.

The health status of millions of people is projected to be affected through, for example, increases in malnutrition; increased deaths, diseases and injury due to extreme weather events; increased burden of diarrheal diseases; increased frequency of cardio-respiratory diseases due to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone in urban areas related to climate change; and the altered spatial distribution of some infectious diseases.

Societies can respond to climate change by adapting to its impacts and by reducing GHG emissions (mitigation), thereby reducing the rate and magnitude of change. Health effects can be minimized or avoided with sound mitigation and adaptation strategies.

According to UN's IPCC, there is high confidence that neither adaptation nor mitigation alone can avoid all climate change impacts. Adaptation is necessary both in the short term and longer term to address impacts resulting from the warming that would occureven for the lowest stabilization scenarios assessed. There are barriers, limits and costs that are not fully understood. Adaptation and mitigation can complement each other andtogether can significantly reduce the risks of climate change.

Information source: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf

Originally posted at http://www.caragahealthresearch.org/2013/08/climate-change-and-human-health-glimpse.html

Date Sunday, September 1, 2013

SNAPSHOT WITH THE EXPERTS. The participants of the MHRDC Training on Basic Ethics in Research Concerning Human subjects with Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora (seated third from left) and Prof. Peter A. Sy (seated third from right). | 04 APRIL 2013

Last April 3-4, 2013, the MIMAROPA Health Research and Development Consortium (MHRDC) held its Training on Basic Ethics in Research Concerning Human Subjects at the CHED Conference Room, HEDC Bldg., C.P. Garcia Avenue, Quezon City.

Twenty-two health and social researchers from MIMAROPA State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and other member-agencies participated on this two-day event led by research experts and trainers from the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board. Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora and Prof. Peter Sy discussed on the ethical guidelines and methodologies in research. Dr. Alora mainly tackled the concepts governing ethical research endeavours. She cited that researchers that are physically and ethically qualified should do researches with human subjects. Having an institution-based Ethics Review Committee will help in determining a researcher's ethical readiness.   In addition, Prof. Sy's lectures  were on the on the person and social aspects of it. He pointed out that while a clinical research can be beneficial to men, the method by which the output be obtained should also be considered. Clinical trials can pose harm on its research subjects, may it be tested to human or an animal subject. Both speakers were centering on the idea that researchers should consider the saying “Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you”, also known as the golden rule, in the conduct of their studies.

The training also aimed to guide the participating institutions in creating their own Ethics Board which will act as a guiding body in their organization come conducting researches, especially those concerning human. Once organized, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Training will follow to help their Ethics Board draft their procedures manual.

Originally posted at http://region4b.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23:mhrdc-conducts-ethics-training&catid=1:latest-news

Date Thursday, 29 August 2013 02:18