Health UPdates Webinar #263 “1M Pinoys Displaced by Typhoon Uwan: Paano Ang Kalusugan Nila?”

The University of the Philippines,
in partnership with the UP Manila – National Institutes of Health,
and in cooperation with UP Philippine General Hospital and UP College of Medicine,
would like to invite you to attend this webinar!

Registration slots are limited to this HEALTH UPDATES webinar
So sign up NOW:
bit.ly/HealthUpdatesWebinar263

Webinar #263
November 14, 2025 (Friday), 12:00 noon
1M Pinoys Displaced by Typhoon Uwan: Paano Ang Kalusugan Nila?

Panelists:
DR. TEODORO J. HERBOSA
Secretary
Department of Health

DR. ARTURO M. PESIGAN
Former WHO Representative to Yemen
International Expert on Health Emergencies

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Webinar #263
November 14, 2025 (Friday), 12:00 noon
1M Pinoys Displaced by Typhoon Uwan: Paano Ang Kalusugan Nila?

The recent catastrophic impact of Typhoon Uwan, resulting in the internal displacement of over one million Filipino citizens, presents an acute challenge to the nation’s public health infrastructure that necessitates immediate, evidence-based intervention and strategic multi-sectoral coordination. This critical displacement crisis extends far beyond the immediate humanitarian requirement for shelter, triggering complex secondary health sequelae rooted in the principles of disaster epidemiology and environmental health.

The massive convergence of populations in temporary evacuation modalities generates high-density settings, dramatically increasing the transmission potential for communicable diseases, including but not limited to acute diarrheal illnesses, arboviral infections such as dengue, and severe acute respiratory infections. In addition, the compromised integrity of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems critically exacerbates this risk profile, demanding synchronized clinical and community-level preventative strategies.

Moreover, the disruption of continuity of care represents a significant threat to long-term population morbidity and mortality. The systemic failure within the healthcare supply chain, coupled with the structural damage sustained by frontline medical facilities and the concurrent victim status of healthcare personnel themselves, creates an environment where patients reliant on chronic disease management, specifically those with non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and complex oncological conditions, are subject to perilous treatment interruptions. The specific vulnerability of pediatric, geriatric, and obstetric populations in such austere settings must also be rigorously addressed, particularly concerning maternal and child nutrition security. Finally, this event has precipitated a widespread psycho-social crisis; the sustained psychological trauma resulting from catastrophic loss of domicile, livelihood, and existential security mandates the immediate integration of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services into the immediate response architecture.

In this week’s episode, we will have two panelists: Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa of the Department of Health, who is a distinguished authority in trauma and disaster medicine, and Dr. Arturo M. Pesigan, who is the former WHO Representative to Yemen and is also an international expert on health emergencies. They will offer invaluable local and global perspectives on resilience and health systems stabilization during protracted crises.

Join us as we learn how to foster robust health system resilience in the face of escalating climatic threats. Together, we can stop preventable deaths.