Governor Generoso, the country’s southeastern municipality, is a frontrunner in the Davao region in the anti-smoking drive after it topped validations by the Department of Health in Davao Oriental.
This emerged from ongoing validations being conducted by a team of DOH experts comprised of Rose Basanez, Regional Tobacco Anti-Smoking manager and Dr. Sharon Valdez of the DOH’s non-communicable diseases program.
Informed of this, Mayor Juanito “Kulot” Inojales called on barangay officials and health workers to strengthen the anti-smoking campaign.
“We should strive to make our municipality smoking-free to improve the health of our people,” he said.
The DOH team visited Governor Generoso the other week and expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the anti-smoking drive.
Its findings showed that for the third year in a row, Governor Generoso is set to receive the Red Orchid award for sustaining one of the DOH’s flagship programs.
A study conducted by nurse Hilda Mae J. Cabag of the municipal health office revealed that the top causes of morbidity or sicknesses are related to smoking.
She said hypertension topped the list with 2,775 cases in 2024, followed by acute lower respiratory tract infection with 1,168, acute upper respiratory tract infection with 586 cases, pneumonia with 150 cases and asthma with 33 cases in 2022. All diseases are related to smoking.
In the same study, smoking is also linked to the top leading causes of mortality or death. On top of the list is myocardial infarction with 44 cases, cerebrovascular diseases with 21, cancer (all forms) 12, pneumonia nine cases and tuberculosis eight.
Nurse Cabag said smoking does not only affect individuals but also burden families and communities with medical expenses and productivity loss.
She said that smoking continues to pose a threat to the health of residents in Governor Generoso.
“Urgent action through sustained tobacco control, early detection programs, and health promotion is necessary to reduce this preventable health crisis,” she concluded. (Jimmy K. Laking)
