Philippines: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from the Philippines for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
Ensure that all patients are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Screen all new entrants (including children) for tuberculosis (TB). There is a high burden of multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the Philippines.
Consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly among those who have recently arrived. The Philippines has an intermediate prevalence.
Consider screening for hepatitis C, because the Philippines has a considerably higher prevalence than the UK.
Ask about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
There is a risk of malaria in some areas of the Philippines.
There is a high risk of typhoid infection in the Philippines.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Find out more about children’s health.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule. See Immunisation collection with complete schedules.
Tuberculosis (TB)
The incidence of TB in the Philippines is very high (>500 cases/100,000) and there is also a high burden of Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) TB, so:
- screen all new entrants (including children) from (country) for TB according to NICE guidelines
- refer to TB services promptly if screening is positive
- seek advice, if you are a local TB service, from the MDR-TB Clinical Advice Service before treating patients from the Philippines for TB
- maintain long term vigilance for symptoms of TB even if initial screening is negative
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV
Take a sexual history, and:
- screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
- test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia.
The Philippines has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so:
- offer and recommend a HIV test if the patient:
- falls into a high risk group
- is newly registering in a high prevalence area
- be advised that national guidelines do not recommend routine consideration of HIV testing of infants and children who have recently arrived in the UK.
Hepatitis B
The Philippines has an intermediate prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly those who have recently arrived
- offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
- immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive, and follow-up accordingly
- be aware that the UK has a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups
Hepatitis C
The Philippines has a higher prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C if other risk factors apply.
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Malaria
There is a high risk of malaria in some areas of the Philippines, due to P. falciparum and P. vivax., so:
- test any unwell patient who has travelled to-and-from affected areas of the Philippines in the last year
- remember that malaria can be rapidly fatal
Typhoid
There is a risk of typhoid infection in the Philippines, so:
- ensure that travellers to the Philippines are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
- remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to-or-from the Philippines
Helminths
There is a risk of helminth infections in the Philippines, including:
- schistosomiasis
- lymphatic filariasis
- soil transmitted helminthiasis
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Children per woman¹ | 2 | 3 |
| Use of contraception² | 82% | 48.9% |
| Breast examination or mammography³ | 75% | 4% |
| Cervical cancer screening⁴ | 70% | 10% |
¹lifetime average ²by woman of reproductive age or partner ³women aged 50 to 69 years ⁴women aged 20 to 69 years.
Find out more about women’s health.
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%) and pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), so:
- be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly women and pre-school children
- test as clinically indicated
Vitamin D
Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:
- covering their body for cultural or religious reasons (lack of sunlight)
- skin colour
- diet (vegan or vegetarian)
Vitamin A
There is a high risk of vitamin A deficiency in the Philippines.
Iodine
People from the Philippines may be at risk of mild iodine deficiency due to inadequate intake.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in the Philippines.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of the Philippines.
Languages
The main languages used in the Philippines are:
- Filipino (official; based on Tagalog)
- English (official)
- eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan
Source: The World Factbook.
Find out about language interpretation.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%)¹ |
|---|---|
| Catholic² | 82.9 |
| Muslim | 5 |
| Evangelical | 2.8 |
| Iglesia ni Kristo | 2.3 |
| Other Christian | 4.5 |
| Other | 1.8 |
| Unspecified | 1.4 |
| None | 1.4 |
¹2001 census; ²Roman Catholic 80.9%, Aglipayan 2%
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were almost 123,000 people from the Philippines living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Source: Office for National Statistics
Updates to this page
Last updated 30 May 2019 + show all updates
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Updated TB guidance based on latest World Health Organization (WHO) data.
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Updated and made editorial changes to meet GOV.UK style.
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First published.