Filipino UK health - what's the difference ?

[sars_notd_virus]

Filipino UK health - what's the difference ?


Life expectancy at birth is 71 years in Philippines ( males 68, females 74) and 80 years in the UK (males 78, females 82). It's one measure of quality of life.
Now the number 1 cause of death in Philippines is the same as UK - cardiovascular disease, mainly heart attacks. Number 2 in both countries is cancer. Until 30 years ago infections were more common in the Philippines.

It has something to do with our genetics filipino belong to Haplogroup O3,UK belongs to Haplogroup U (mtDNA)...economy,and lifestyle.

we filipinos are more content than any other cultures in the world,we live each day as it comes ..we have stress,problems like any other culture but we are still HAPPY and with a bit of nice weather beside us ,how can we not stay healthy.

[Doc Alan]

now my wife lives in the uk, will she get to live longer

The figures I quoted were for life expectancy at birth.
For any migrant, how much their health and life expectancy changes depends on how much their way of living changes, for example diet, lifestyle, attending the doctor, taking part in health screening relevant to age and sex.
To take cancer as one example, the frequency of different types in migrants moves towards that of the recipient country. This suggests that environmental factors are more important than heredity, in fact it is thought they account for over 80% of cancers. Liver and stomach cancer are commoner in the Philippines than in UK ; breast and large bowel cancer are commoner in UK. If the frequencies of each type of cancer could be reduced to the minimum found anywhere in the world, in theory the numbers of new cases could be reduced from the current estimate of 10 million / year.

[malditako]

Life expectancy at birth is 71 years in Philippines ( males 68, females 74) and 80 years in the UK (males 78, females 82). It's one measure of quality of life.
Now the number 1 cause of death in Philippines is the same as UK - cardiovascular disease, mainly heart attacks. Number 2 in both countries is cancer. Until 30 years ago infections were more common in the Philippines.
Easy access to relatively cheap cigarettes with more smokers is one factor influencing number 1 + 2 in Philippines.
Increasing fat intake, salty food, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol contribute to the changing pattern of health in Philippines, as in the UK.
However, fewer filipinos have regular medical examinations, which would diagnose high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and diabetes early.
As for cancer, there is low prevention awareness in Philippines. In UK we have screening for prostate, cervical, breast and bowel cancer, with a vaccination offered to teenage girls to prevent cervical cancer.
Cancer survival rates are lower in Philippines because filipinos tend to seek medical help too late, only spending money (if they can afford it) on chemotherapy / radiotherapy for incurable cancers. UK survivals are better, although worse than many similar countries in the world. The types of cancer are also different ( lung is common in both countries). Liver cancer is, for example, commoner in Philippines because of hepatitis B and C.
Accidents are relatively commoner in Philippines - whether on the roads or due to natural disasters like typhoons.
Infections are still more important in Philippines than UK. Tuberculosis has been estimated to kill 75 filipinos /day - despite having childhood BCG, filipinos may still acquire TB, ignore their symptoms, spreading the infection , and delaying antibiotic treatment. Other types of pneumonia are also commoner.
Chronic lung disease due to smoking is common in both countries.
Infant mortality rate is higher in the Philippines compared to its south-east Asian neighbours and certainly the UK. Sepsis and prematurity are factors, and better prenatal care would help.
Clearly we have the UK National Health Service, imperfect as it may be. Costs for treatment, as with insurance, in the Philippines are rising. My thread is not intended to be judgemental, only an attempt to explain the differences between our two countries. Read the disclaimer on this section of the forum !

my relatives in both sides ( father and mother) live till 100 years of age while others die early due to smoking, hard drinking of alcohol and eating unhealthy food that included my uncle who died from pneumonia after a kidney transplant...he love eating canned goods mostly imports from other country.

medical routine now includes cervical check ups...vaccination for cervical cancer is available both cervalix and gardasil but of course not free ( had the vaccine myself)

cancer survival rates in philippines is low as they tend to seek medical help too late because first they dont have money second they are afraid to know their real health condition...

tuberculosis is common to some part of the phils mostly in provinces, other types of pneumonia are also common due to growing airconditioned houses.

bacterial infection is common in phils (bacteria grow fast in humid places) while here in UK its the viral infection thats common especially during winter season.

uk has free NHS while phils doesnt

this is just my point of view....not disrespecting doc alan

[Doc Alan]

...this is just my point of view....not disrespecting doc alan

Thank you Grace for your informative post, it's not in any way disrespectful, and I appreciate your time. I did not know, for example, that cervical cancer vaccines are available in Philippines. These Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccines protect against certain strains of the virus known to cause cancer of the cervix. They are most effective given before sexual activity starts. Where appropriate, immunisation with HPV vaccine should be offered to females coming to the UK as they may not have had protection in their country of origin. It's not yet known how long the vaccine protects (at least 6 years), and routine cervical screening (smear tests) should continue as the vaccines don't protect against all strains of HPV, or all types of cervical cancer. This cancer is very much commoner in Philippines than UK.

[Arthur Little]

Maybe some members here will remember that my wife had to make an unplanned emergency visit to Phils last September when her brother passed away.

Yes, Terpe ... I remember well, the sorrow you felt - and obviously feel to this day - at your brother-in-law's passing while still a relatively young man. Forty-five, I think you said he was.

Frankly ... it beats me that healthcare professionals and their affiliates - even in third world countries - can betray the ethics of their calling for the sake of "lining their own pockets" ...

... so there's absolutely no need to apologise in any way for presenting the facts about the level of care he received [or didn't! ] - according to how you perceive them - and as they undoubtedly are!!!

[Arthur Little]

Life expectancy at birth is 71 years in Philippines ( males 68, females 74) and 80 years in the UK (males
78, females 82). It's one measure of quality of life.

I'd always imagined there to be a greater differential overall ... in relation to the comparison of average life expectancies between our two nations. So ... once again, Alan ... for presenting us with another thoughtful - and thought-provoking - thread that includes statistics based on factual evidence.

[Doc Alan]

Thanks Arthur, and everyone who has contributed ! Even if you haven't, you can't deny health matters to everyone

[joebloggs]

Frankly ... it beats me that healthcare professionals and their affiliates - even in third world countries - can betray the ethics of their calling for the sake of "lining their own pockets" ...

its not the doctors fault Arthur its the system
how would you feel, if everyday you had to be in a situation where you know a patient cant afford treatment, medicine or tests? and that person goes home untreated , even worse when they cant afford it for their children

my misses has faced that ,and no its not what she spent 10yrs at uni for, or why she took Hippocratic Oath, and over time you become dettached from the patient, its the only way you get thru all the .

my misses is happy to be out of that, and being working in the NHS, where she can send patients for any test and do all she can for the patient.

be thankful we have a NHS and you can get the treatment you need, not what you can afford

[Arthur Little]

be thankful we have a NHS and you can get the treatment you need, not what you can afford

Oh don't get me wrong, Joe ... I AM thankful for the treatment our NHS provides, believe me! But at the same time, I've heard tell of one particular family doctor [now, sadly deceased] who lived and worked in the Mindanao township of Pantukan ... of which he served several terms as Mayor. And this kindly practitioner (a brother of one of Myrna's relatives by marriage) frequently treated patients of his - who couldn't afford payment - free of charge! Last time I was over in the Phils, Myrna and I had the pleasure of visiting his widow.

At the time of our arrival - on Christmas Day 2008, we found her lovingly polishing her late husband's gravestone ... which had been erected through the efforts of the local townsfolk and contained the inscription:

"To Dear Dr D ... in gratitude for his many years of devoted service as a GP, Councillor - latterly Civic Chief - and, above all, friend" ... or words to that effect.

Afterwards we made our way back to the modest house that had been his home since his marriage to Myrna's cousin more than 40 years earlier.

[Terpe]

....I've heard tell of one particular family doctor [now, sadly deceased] who lived and worked in the Mindanao township of Pantukan ...

Sorry Off-Topic
My wife has plenty of relatives living in Pantukan
Her grandmother lived there for many years. Been there myself lots of times.

[joebloggs]

But at the same time, I've heard tell of one particular family doctor [now, sadly deceased] who lived and worked in the Mindanao township of Pantukan ... of which he served several terms as Mayor. And this kindly practitioner (a brother of one of Myrna's relatives by marriage) frequently treated patients of his - who couldn't afford payment - free of charge!

a number of times my misses has told me when she was doing her internship,the student docs would collect money to pay for meds, one time they took it in turn to use , i think it was some kinda of hand powered Respirator to keep a baby a live thru the night, becuase the parents could afford the automatic one

[Arthur Little]

Sorry Off-Topic
My wife has plenty of relatives living in Pantukan
Her grandmother lived there for many years. Been there myself lots of times.

... WOW! Interesting, Terpe ... very likely your wife's grandmother knew the good Dr Jovito Derla and his wife, Lily. Lily is Myrna's *first-degree cousin [as it's *called in the Phils] ... and - by a happy family coincidence - Lily's brother, Raphael Pond is married to Dr Jovito's sister, Exaltacion. And it was in Raphael & Exal's house in the Merville Subdivision of Tagum City that Myrna and I were wed in December 2008.

It IS, indeed, a "small pool we swim in" ... as Tawi writes in his thread yesterday ... in this case a "genes pool" in the true sense of the word. Tell me, my friend - if you don't mind me asking - what's your wife's family surname?

[Terpe]

... Tell me, my friend - if you don't mind me asking - what's your wife's family surname?

PM'd

[Arthur Little]

PM'd

Understandable, Terpe ... I've just realised I should've known better than to ask such information on a public forum ...

Accordingly ... I shall respond to your Private Message in like fashion.