INEQUALITY IN ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AMONG THE MARGINALIZED

SECTOR IN THE PHILIPPINES

BACKGROUND

There is substantial evidence that socioeconomic factors such as education,

employment status, income level, gender, and ethnicity have a significant impact on a
person's health. According to World Health Organization (WHO), there are large
inequalities in the health status of different social groups in all countries, whether they
are low-, middle-, or high-income.
In the Philippines, disparities are still prevalent when it comes to access in
healthcare. According to Dr. Reyes of State Think Tank Philippines Institute for
Development Studies, the health services and facilities from Luzon is far better than the
healthcare access from Visayas and Mindanao. Inequalities are apparent among
different islands in the country. An example of this is the unequal distribution of
healthcare workers among the hospitals located in Visayas and Mindanao compared to
NCR. Dr. Reyes claimed that for every 100,000 total number of populations in Visayas,
only 12 doctors are appointed, while in NCR, 28 doctors are assigned per 100,000
population.
Studies also shown that people who live in urban areas experiences worse
health outcomes compared to those who live in rural areas.