http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2009/0430_santiago1.asp
Press Release
April 30, 2009
MIRIAM HITS DOH ON CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, YOUTH SUICIDES
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago wants the Department of Health (DOH) to
conduct studies on the disease Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and the
number of Filipinos suffering from it.
"It appears that CFS has slipped under the DOH's radar, despite the fact
that more and more Filipinos are being afflicted by it," she said.
Santiago has filed a bill in the Senate aimed at raising public awareness on
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
Late 2008, Santiago was diagnosed by her doctors as suffering from CFS. She
had to take a leave of absence from the Senate upon the advice of her
doctors.
Recently, Cristina Ponce Enrile, wife of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile,
resigned from her post as ambassador to the Vatican , after being diagnosed
with CFS.
CFS is a complex illness that produces extreme fatigue over a prolonged
period. The condition has also been called post-viral fatigue syndrome,
myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction
syndrome. The condition impacts primarily on the immune system, nervous
system, muscles, and endocrine system.
Although the number and severity of the symptoms may vary, the major
symptoms of CFS are: extreme tiredness lasting at least six months;
impairment of short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph
nodes; muscle and joint pain without swelling or redness; difficulty
sleeping; headaches; and prolonged muscle fatigue and feeling ill after even
mild exertion.
CFS sufferers may also experience abdominal pain, earaches, intolerance to
alcohol, chest pain, coughing, dizziness, nausea, irregular heartbeat,
shortness of breath, bloating, dry eyes and mouth, jaw pain, joint stiffness
in the morning, night sweats, depression, and weight loss.
Since the disease carries varying symptoms, CFS is often unrecognized or
misdiagnosed. The condition is more prevalent among women aged 25 to 45, but
it can affect children and adults of any age and people from all ethnic
groups. In the United Kingdom alone, it is estimated that there are 150,000
people suffering from CFS.
Santiago complained of dizziness, nausea, and arrhythmia or irregular
heartbeat prior to being diagnosed with CFS.
Santiago wants the DOH and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) to carry
out a national campaign to increase public awareness and knowledge of CFS.
The campaign is aimed at the dissemination of information on the causes,
prevention, and diagnosis of CFS, as well as available treatments for
CFS-sufferers.
"One of the challenges faced by CFS-affected persons is the apparent lack of
recognition regarding the seriousness of the disease. A CFS patient faces
the social stigma that he or she is just malingering, wants attention, or is
feigning CFS-like symptoms," the senator explained. "This stigma can have a
negative psychological effect on the patient and may cause prolonged
recovery from the disease."
The feisty senator also decried the DOH's inaction on a bill she has filed,
the "Youth Suicide Prevention Act."
The "Youth Suicide Prevention Act" was one of the first bills Santiago filed
when she was reelected senator in 2004. She has since refiled it in the 14th
Congress.
Santiago lost her son Alexander Robert to suicide in 2003.
The 2001 World Health Report revealed that in 53 countries where complete
data were available, suicide was a leading cause of death among young
adults. In the United States , suicide is the third leading cause of death
for young people aged 15 to 24 years old. More teenagers and young adults in
the US die from suicide than from a combination of cancer, heart disease,
AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung diseases taken together.
Media reports show that suicides among Metro Manila students, particularly
those attending prestigious schools, are rising at an alarming rate.
"The government, through the Department of Health and the Department of
Education, should treat youth suicides as a serious public health issue. The
early intervention and prevention of youth suicides should be a national
priority," Santiago said.
