MAY mga sakit at iba pang medical condition na mga babae ang pangunahing naaapektuhan kundi man sila lang ang tanging tinatamaan. Ang usaping ito ay dapat paglaa-nan ng espesyal na atensyon at pagtugon ng pamahalaan.
Isang malaking positibong hakbang para rito ang iniakda ni Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada na Senate Bill 856 (Establishing an Office on Women’s Health).
Ang naturang tanggapan ay magiging bahagi ng Department of Health, at sa pamamagitan nito ay bibigyan ng kapangyarihan ang DOH na pumasok sa co-operative agreements, kontrata o inter-agency agreement, at maglaan ng grant o pondo sa pampubliko man o pribadong grupo, ahensya o institusyon sa larangan ng pagbibigay ng special health and medical services sa kababaihan.
Kabilang sa mga responsibilidad at tungkulin ng itatatag na Office on Women’s Health ang mga sumusunod:
A.) establish a DOH Coordinating Committee on Wo-men’s health;
B.) operationalize a National Women’s Health Information Center to facilitate the exchange of information relating to health concerns and health promotion, preventive health services, research advances, and education in the appropriate use of health care, as well as the development of materials for technical assistance;
C.) coordinate efforts to promote women’s health programs and policies in the private sector;
D.) determine the current agency level of activity regarding women’s health across age, biological, and socio-cultural contexts in all aspects of the Department’s work, including drafting clinical practice guidelines, and conduc-ting research into patient outcomes, delivery of health care services, and access to health care;
E.) establish short-range and long-range goals and objectives for research important to women’s health and coordinate all other activities within the Department that relate to health services and medical effectiveness research;
F.) identify projects in women’s health that should be conducted or supported by the Department;
G.) consult with health professionals, non-governmental organizations, consumer organizations, women’s health professionals, and other individuals and groups, as appropriate, on the Department’s policy with regard to women.