听to the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), making the Philippines the first country in Southeast Asia to receive听nicotine听replacement听therapy (NRT) as part of WHO鈥檚 Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco (AIQT).听听
The donation will provide 4,500 high-risk smokers with an eight-week supply of Nicorette听InvisiPatch, which prevents cigarette cravings. To be eligible,听smokers must meet the following criteria: 20鈥50 years old; ready to quit; with co-morbidities (except if there are absolute contraindications for use); and/or members of the 4P program, or the conditional cash transfer program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.听听
Eight weeks may be enough time for a smoker to curb the habit, but the period needed to quit will also depend on the number of cigarettes used per day, said Karlo S. Patron, marketing manager of global healthcare company Johnson & Johnson Philippines, Inc., which facilitated the donation.听 听
鈥淚ndividuals will have different quit journeys,鈥 Mr. Patron told听大象传媒听in an e-mail interview. 鈥淎s they go through the weeks of their quit journey, it is important that they get the support they need through counseling and, with the help of NRT, to manage their nicotine withdrawal symptoms.鈥澨听
At an event organized by Johnson & Johnson听this June, Dr. Joel M. Santiaguel, a pulmonologist and fellow from the Philippine College of Chest Physicians, said that quitting is a multi-modality treatment and is not just about medicines or patches.听听
To this end, the donation of the patches will be complemented with support from smoking cessation experts from the recipient hospitals to help manage their physical, social, and mental challenges of quitting smoking.听听
听Smokers will be seen by a physician for initial assessment and counseling, LCP鈥檚 executive director Dr. Vincent M. Balanag, Jr. said, with follow-up checkups to be customized based on need. In some local government units, barangay health workers or midwives will be requested to do home visitations to validate a smoker鈥檚 quit status, and to help identify potential issues.听听听听
听NRT patches will be distributed to other health facilities, including Baguio General Hospital Medical Center, Bataan General Hospital, National Center for Mental Health, and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.听 听
听The AIQT aims to help the world鈥檚 1.3 billion smokers with the tools and support they need to quit the habit for good. It is supported by the private sector and led by the WHO, together with the United Nations Interagency Task Force on Non-Communicable Diseases, PATH (formerly known as the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), and the Coalition for Access to NCD Medicines and Products.听听
, there are 16.5 million smokers in the Philippines. Over three-fourths (or 77%) of them plan on quitting, but only 4% are successful in doing so. This poses a large concern for WHO and the Department of Health, especially with the threat of the coronavirus still affecting the country.听听smokers are more likely than non-smokers to have severe outcomes from COVID-19.听听
鈥淪moking has always been known as a significant risk factor for serious diseases, but its impact has become an even greater worry for us now with the continuing transmission of COVID-19,鈥 said Dr. Rabindra听Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative to the Philippines, in a statement. 鈥淭he NRT patches can boost the existing tools that we have as we support smokers to commit to quit.鈥澨听
The Nicorette听InvisiPatch听cannot be purchased over-the-counter in the Philippines. Its special use was granted by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration following review and approval on the occasion of this donation. 鈥斕Patricia B. Mirasol听
