Newborn Screening in the Philippines

On February 2, 1996, the first organizational meeting attended by representatives from different POGS accredited hospitals in Metro Manila. Creation of the NBS Study group composed of Pediatric and Obstectrics-Gynecology consultants from participating hospitals was done on April 2, 1996. The project name was Philippine Newborn Screening Project. On June 27 of the same year, commencement of the Philippine Newborn Screening Project was done in 24 participating   hospitals, 18 of which are private and 6 are government. On June of 1996 to September of 1997, coordination with the New South Wales Newborn Screening Program in Australia for test performance and analysis purpose was done. On the 18^th of September year 1997 the operation of the Newborn Screening Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, UP Manila, started. (Alcantara et al, 2005)

On March 1999, the inclusion of the Newborn Screening Program in Child Health 2025, a planning framework on children’s health of the Department of Health with the ultimate goal of achieving good health for all Filipino children by the year 2025 was formulated. On July 30 of the same year, an inter-agency Task force on Newborn Screening composed of representatives from DOH as Chair, Institute of Human Genetics- National Institutes of Health, UP Manila, DILG, midwives’ association, and other health groups was created. (Alcantara et al., 2005)

On January 03 of 2000, Administrative order No. 1-A series 2000 by the Department of Health stating the policies for the nationwide implementation of Newborn Screening was issued.  

On the 9^th of December year 2003, Administrative Order No. 121, series 2003, Subject: Strengthening Implementation of the National Newborn Screening System”   was issued by DOH. On January of 2004, Presidential Proclamation No. 540, Subject: “Declaring the First Week of October of each year as “National Newborn Screening Awareness Week” was issued. On April 07 of 2004, the enactment of the RA 9288 known as the Newborn Screening Act of 2004 was done. On October 07 of the same year, the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Newborn Screening Act were signed. (Alcantara et al.: 2005) 

Data from 201 participating hospitals reported in September 2001 confirmed 48 cases of congenital hypothyroidism, 21 cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 2 cases of galactosemia, 4 cases of hyperphenylalanemia and 1,495 cases of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. (Padilla, CD. 2003) 

There are 111 active newborn screening facilities and 24 inactive newborn screening facilities in Region 1 as of April 28, 2010. There are seventy three (73) newborn screening facilities in Pangasinan, 24 in Ilocos Sur, 20 in Ilocos Norte and 17 newborn screening facilities in La Union. Specifically, in Agoo, there are only two newborn screening facilities which comprise of Agoo Family Hospital and La Union Medical Center.  (Newborn Screening Reference Center, 2010)        

The Department of Health has recognized the significance of the initial data and efforts are now being undertaken to ensure the nationwide implementation of newborn screening.