To provide baseline data on the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis egg contamination in the soil among indigenous communities. Methods: A total of 317 soil samples from three barangays of indigenous communities communities in Tigaon, Camarines Sur, Philippines were examined for soil-transmitted helminthiasis egg contamination using optimized sugar flotation method. Results: Of the soil samples examined, 141 (44.48%) were contaminated by Ascaris spp., Toxocara spp., and Trichuris spp. with cumulative prevalence varying across the study sites (P0.01). Ascaris spp. was predominant in all study sites, followed by Toxocara spp. and Trichuris spp. with a prevalence of 41.96%, 7.57%, and 5.36%, respectively. Interestingly, Toxocara pp. has the highest intensity of contamination, followed by Ascaris spp. and Trichuris spp. in term of geometric mean soil-transmitted helminthiasis eggs recovered per one gram soil sample (34.25, 21.45, and 11.85 respectively). Each study site harbors significant amount of soiltransmitted helminthiasis eggs and zoonotic Toxocara eggs, which present high risk of soil-transmitted helminthiasis infection, particularly among children observed to play and cohabitate with animals known to be hosts of these parasites. Conclusions: The alarming rate of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and Toxocara egg contamination reported in this study suggests that additional measures should be undertaken to control soil-transmitted helminthiasis and zoonotic intestinal infections in the country.

Objective: To study the distribution of human leptospirosis cases across the different geographic regions in the Philippines in 2015-2017 and to determine the relationship between the frequency of typhoon occurrence and human leptospirosis cases. Methods: Information on the frequency of leptospirosis cases and typhoon occurrence across the different regions in the Philippines from 2015 to 2017 was retrieved from the databases of the Department of Health and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, respectively. Descriptive measures on the prevalent cases and occurrence of typhoons across the different regions were summarized. Linear regression analysis was employed to establish the functional relationship between leptospirosis cases and typhoon occurrence. The distribution of human leptospirosis cases was assessed using the Poisson distribution. Results: The frequency of typhoon occurrence accounted for the significant linear variation in the geographic distribution of human leptospirosis cases in the Philippines (P<0.001). Moreover, the human leptospirosis cases obeyed a Poisson distribution (λ=6.89, P<0.001). Conclusions: The Philippines has frequently experienced severe weather perturbations such as typhoons resulting in flooding and subsequently increasing the risk of transmitting bacterial infections including leptospirosis. Information obtained regarding the determinants and distribution of human leptospirosis will provide better understanding of the disease propagation for subsequent design of optimal disease prevention measures, appropriate resource allocation, effective control strategies, and necessary public health programs.

BACKGROUND: Patients' understanding of prescriptions is one of the key elements to a successful treatment. In the Philippines, patients do not have the benefit of having pharmacists explaining the prescription when they purchase their medicines. Inability to understand and follow prescriptions may, therefore, contribute to medication non-compliance, which leads to unwanted disease progression, complications, and even premature death.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the understanding of Filipino patients of prescriptions given by their doctors and to identify the factors that significantly affect their understanding.

METHODS: In total, 392 individuals, using purposive sampling, were interviewed from pharmacies around a government hospital outpatient department (OPD), a private hospital OPD, private clinics, and local health centers in Manila, Philippines. The patients' knowledge about the proper intake of the prescribed drugs was assessed and the factors that were deemed to affect their understanding were then identified. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated according to the various study factors included in the study to measure the association between each study variable and incomplete understanding of prescriptions. A multivariate logistics regression model was constructed applying a stepwise procedure to enter variables in the model.

RESULTS: Among the 392 participants, 219(55.9%) patients had an incomplete understanding of prescriptions, 176 (44.9%) were not able to identify the correct dose of the prescribed drug, followed by 103(26.3%) who were not able to identify the name of the drug. Multivariate logistics regression analysis identified only three independent variables to be statistically significant predisposing factors to incomplete understanding of prescriptions: non-legible prescriptions (OR=4.598, 95% CI 2.671-7.913), prescriptions with an incomplete set of written instructions (OR=2.108, 95% CI 1.234-3.601), and patient having had no previous use of the prescribed drug or a similar drug (OR=2.126, 95% CI 1.361-3.320).

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that physicians play an important role in promoting complete understanding of prescriptions. Non-legible prescriptions and prescriptions with an incomplete set of written instructions were found to significantly affect patients' understanding of prescriptions. Physicians should also be more careful in instructing patients who will take the prescribed medications for the first time. These information may be used to enhance better understanding of prescriptions among patients and thereby prevent non-compliance and treatment failure.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Pharmacies ; Pharmacists ; Mortality, Premature ; Medication Adherence ; Drug Prescriptions ; Prescription Drugs ; Hospitals, Private ; Disease Progression ; Causality