No. 365 November - December 2017 Speakers object to legalizing marijuana at a UP Manila forum Dr. Rhea Salonga-Quimpo, Dr. Leonor Cabral-Lim, Dr. Carissa Dioquino-Maligaso, and Representative Jose ‘Lito’ Atienza speak to the attendees of the forum “The Truth About Marijuana”. Three medical doctors the availability of existing laws on Bill 6517 or the Philippine Medical multiple sclerosis and chronic able to control it anymore,” Dr. from UP Manila and a party-list the regulated and compassionate Compassionate Medical Cannabis pain, there have not been enough Quimpo said. representative expressed strong use of medical cannabis. Act that was recently passed by clinical trials to test its safety opposition to the legalization of For his part, BUHAY party- the House of Representatives and effectiveness as there were No need for any new law medical cannabis, more popularly list Representative Jose that seeks to legalize medical adverse outcomes observed such A lot of Filipinos believe known as marijuana, during “Lito” Atienza defended his marijuana were tackled briefly. as abnormal liver function and that marijuana should be legal a forum held at the UP Manila objection to the bill by saying more withdrawal. in the Philippines, Dr. Maligaso Theater on December 1, 2017. that it will worsen the country’s No sufficient evidence Dr. Quimpo advised that clarified this issue and explained Doctors Rhea Salonga- drug problem and undermine Dr. Quimpo gave a since there is an insufficiency in the effects of marijuana that are Quimpo, a pediatric neurologist, the credibility of the Duterte background on medical scientifically-robust evidence to more than what people realize. Carissa Dioquino-Maligaso, administration’s war on drugs. marijuana. She reported studies prove marijuana is safe or has As stated on the Diagnostic and a neurologist, and Leonor The forum, organized by suggesting that “cannabidiol – enough benefits, the public will Statistical Manual of Mental Cabral-Lim, a neurologist and the UP Manila Information, a specific extract of marijuana be better-informed by reading the Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5), chair of the PGH Department of Publication, and Public Affairs – reduces seizures in Dravet latest medical studies published by medical cannabis poses harm Neurosciences, objected to House Office (IPPAO) and the Technical Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut reputable institutions such as the that includes problem use, Bill 6517 or the Philippine Medical Working Group on Medical Syndrome.” She said that while National Academies of Sciences. tolerance, and psychoactive Compassionate Medical Cannabis Cannabis Legalization, presented there are small case reports “It is not a panacea that effects. According to Dr. Maligaso, Act because of the insufficiency of the most significant and latest about the use of oral cannabis will cure all wounds. It might be cannabis use can be problematic existing evidence on the health evidence on medical cannabis. extract – not smoked marijuana a ‘Pandora’s Box’ that once we “when it is often taken in large benefits from the plant as well as The major provisions of House – in reducing central pain in unleash its evil, we may not be SPEAKERS OBJECT | PAGE 4 ► Concerns about the safety vaccine after reports of deaths ensuring prevention of disease STATEMENT ON IMMUNIZATION of dengue vaccine in the public that occurred after pentavalent for all Filipino children. Vaccines health program are the trending immunization. The suspension of have never been free from risk, University of the Philippines Manila, topics in the news and in social the pentavalent vaccine in Vietnam hence decisions on new vaccine media. In the ongoing discussions is estimated to result in 90,137 introduction require risk-benefit National Institutes of Health with the dengue vaccine, the value chronic infections and 17,456 analysis. This results in tension Immunization is one of the Sanofi Pasteur regarding the results of routine childhood vaccination is future deaths due to hepatitis B in as public health benefits must be most cost-effective solutions of the new analysis of clinical trial being drowned by fear and panic. the 2013 birth cohort5. The deaths balanced against even remote to major global challenges and data of the dengue vaccine, CYD- There is a possible risk that all the which lead to the suspension were and theoretical risks6. Thorough vaccination prevents an estimated TDV (Dengvaxia®). Based on this media attention to one vaccine will eventually assessed as not due to review of available evidence 2.5 million deaths annually. With information, persistent protection lead to distrust of all other vaccines the pentavalent vaccine. must therefore be performed in the exception of clean water, no against dengue fever was provided in the national immunization In the past five years, the a systematic, feasible and logical other modality prevents more by the vaccine among those who program and result in lower Philippines has introduced several manner prior to introduction. deaths than vaccination1. The had prior infection. However, for vaccine coverage, affecting not just new vaccines in the expanded A survey on vaccine safety Philippines is now the 44th country those not previously infected by school age vaccination, but even immunization program of the and confidence showed that to be certified as having eliminated the dengue virus, more cases of infant immunization. Reductions government namely, mumps, 92.7% and 80% of surveyed maternal and neonatal tetanus2. severe disease may occur upon in vaccine coverage may lead to rubella, inactivated poliovirus Filipinos strongly agreed that This was achieved primarily a subsequent dengue infection disease outbreaks such as the 2013 and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are important and by ensuring hygienic delivery following vaccination3. Since this measles outbreak in the country4. vaccines. The school-based safe, respectively7. The trust and and cord care practices, and by announcement, the Department In 2013, Vietnam suspended the immunization for booster doses confidence of the Filipinos in the immunizing children and women. of Health (DOH) placed the dengue use of pentavalent (diphtheria- of measles-mumps-rubella immunization program should not On November 29, 2017, a vaccination program on hold until pertussis-tetanus-hepatitis and diphtheria-tetanus are be eroded by this experience to one press statement was released by further review. B - Haemophilus influenzae b) substantial breakthroughs in IMMUNIZATION | PAGE 3 ► 2 college/unit beats UP MANILA NEWSLETTER www.upm.edu.ph New CN dean pledges outcome-based curriculum and scale up of nursing innovations Dr. Sheila Bonito, professor scientific productivity; the Bernd at the UP Open University Rode Award, Senior Researcher (UPOU) and director of the UPOU category in 2016 by ASEA UNINET Office of Academic Support and for her work on data mining in Instructional Services (2013– Twitter during typhoons in the 2017), was appointed dean of Philippines. She also received the UP Manila College of Nursing the Hyogo Overseas Research by the UP Board of Regents at its Network Research Fellowship in meeting on September 7, 2017. 2014 from the University of Hyogo Her term started on October 1, and the Australian Leadership 2017 and will end on September Award Fellowship on Research in 30, 2020. Emergency and Disaster Nursing The new UPCN assumed the Dr. Sheila Bonito takes oath before Chancellor Carmencita Padilla witnessed by other officials and faculty members. in 2012 through the James Cook post with an extensive academic Surgery as a staff nurse and later above subjects. She is an affiliate the publication of the National University, Cairns, Australia. background and experience as an Intensive Care Unit nurse in faculty at the UPCN and College Nursing Core Competency in nursing, public health, the Burn Unit, Surgical Intensive of Public Health and Graduate Standards training modules Plans for the next three years education, research, and related Care Unit and Neurosurgical School of UP Los Baños. where she contributed the The new dean ran on a fields. She holds the following Services ICU from 1994-1997. She has contributed several modules on Health Promotion platform of “Growth, Innovation, degrees: Doctor of Public Health She transferred to the UP Manila chapters in the Philippine and on Emergency and Disaster and Excellence.” She adopted (Epidemiology, 1999-2008, UP College of Nursing as University edition of Burns, Grove & Barcelo Management. a strategy that will promote Manila College of Public Health); Research Associate under the (Eds.), Understanding Nursing She has projects with the growth for the faculty in their MA Nursing, 1995-1998 (Adult Research and Creative Writing Research. She has completed Department of Health and the academic careers; generate, scale Health Nursing), UP Manila Program from 1997-1999. She two research projects with the World Health Organization, one of up, and disseminate innovations College of Nursing (UPMCN); and moved to the UP Open University International Development which is the Urbani School Health in nursing, and enhance its BS Nursing, 1988-1992, UPMCN. in 1999 as Assistant Professor Research Centre, Canada: (1) Kit, a mobile cabinet-containing reputation as the premier center She took the following and got her tenure in 2004. She Opening Access through Virtual health education materials of excellence in nursing education postgraduate studies: Postgraduate moved through the ranks and was Clinical