Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC), the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated on Tuesday, March 29 vaccine storage boxes and cards to boost the routine immunization program of the Department of Health (DOH) in the Eastern Visayas region.
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LDSC handed over five units of biothermal packaging boxes and 50,000 pieces of vaccination cards to support the DOH regional office immunization activities.
DOH Eastern Visayas assistant regional director Rodolfo Antonio Albornoz thanked the organization for its support of the National Immunization Program (NIP) this year.
The DOH is eyeing to administer vaccines this year to 219,710 children in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.
“We need to strengthen our linkages and partnerships with stakeholders such as the Latter-day Saints Charities. Sharing your resources in support of our NIP will contribute to the eventual realization of our goal for a healthy Filipino child,” Albornoz said during the turnover at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Tacloban Stake (diocese) Center.
LDSC manager Norman Dolorfino said that for this year alone, the organization is setting aside PHP10 million to support the government’s immunization program in the Philippines.
“The DOH has chosen to allocate these funds primarily for 68 sets of cold storage vaccine transport boxes and 670,000 vaccine cards to track vaccines for families. Deliveries will be facilitated in 17 DOH regional offices,” Dolorfino added.
Jhumer Operio, the Church’s Tacloban Stake (diocese) president said they are always open to partnership with the health department to curb vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, and flu.
“We partner with government to bring the purposes of the Lord as we care not only for the spiritual being but for the temporal and physical welfare of people as well,” Operio told DOH officials.
LDSC is the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The purpose is to relieve suffering, foster self-reliance, and provide opportunities for service. The group has been supporting the vaccination program for decades.