TABUK CITY, Kalinga – During a dissemination forum on the Kalinga Adult Tobacco Survey held today at Grand Zion Garden Resort Hotel, the Kalinga Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported that pneumonia is the leading cause of death in the province for the year 2023.
Dr. Edward Tandingan, Kalinga Provincial Health Officer said that there were 134 reported deaths last year due to pneumonia, one factor was caused by smoking.
Based on his presentation, the other leading causes of mortality in Kalinga for 2023 are cerebrovascular accident or stroke, followed by cancer (all forms), acute respiratory failure, diseases of the heart, chronic kidney disease, senility, undetermined, vehicular accident, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
For the top 10 leading causes of morbidity in the province for 2023, acute upper respiratory infection ranked first, followed by hypertension, urinary tract infection, gastritis, skin diseases, acute lower respiratory infection, headaches, arthritis, animal bites, and acute watery diarrhea.
Tandingan said that 13.6% of all deaths are smoking related, 74.4% are non-communicable diseases, 18% are communicable diseases, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases, and 7.6% are from injuries.
As per record obtained from the PHO, for the first quarter of 2024, there were 29 deaths caused by pneumonia, and 26 deaths caused by chronic kidney disease in the second quarter of 2024, and 51 deaths in June 2024 due to pneumonia.
Tandingan remarked that these causes of death are preventable, if the public adopts positive health behavior and lifestyle change. By Darwin S. Serion
