The Department of Health (DOH) reported that the Pediatric Access to Liver Transplant (PAsLiT) program, a collaboration among the DOH, the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), and The Medical City (TMC), continues to gain success in saving the lives of poor Filipino kids suffering from damaged liver.

The DOH noted the successful liver transplant to 3-year-old “Baby Gianna” who was diagnosed with biliary atresia, and underwent surgery on February 22, 2024.

The DOH, PCMC, and TMC signed a Memorandum of Agreement last February 26, 2020, to collaborate in performing pediatric liver transplantation needed by pediatric patients and named the project PAsLiT, derived from the vernacular referring to a young, innocent child or an infant.

DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa emphasized, “Baby Gianna’s successful liver transplant, marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing accessible healthcare for children in need. This collaborative effort between the DOH, PCMC, and TMC underscores our dedication to saving lives and ensuring the well-being of Filipino children.”

Baby Gianna is the second beneficiary of the PAsLiT Program.

The first beneficiary is six-year-old “Sophie” who underwent a successful liver transplant in November 2020.

The successful transplants to Baby Gianna and Sophie were the highlights during the Philippines’ observance of World Liver Day on April 19.

The PCMC said, “The number of Filipino children being diagnosed with biliary atresia and other neonatal cholestatic liver disease is continuously rising, and many of them will develop cirrhosis and eventually progress to end-stage liver disease. Sadly, very expensive liver transplantation is the only remedy for end-stage liver disease, and many of the patients suffering from this disease who consult PCMC come from the underprivileged sector of society.”

Based on medical information, liver diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. In the Philippines, liver diseases accounted for 27.3 cases per 1,000 deaths.

At least 18 million Filipinos are either suffering from or at risk of fatty liver disease, a sickness considered a ‘silent epidemic’ as of 2022, according to the Hepatology Society of the Philippines (HSP), the lead organization in the study and care of liver health and disease among Filipinos.

The group stated that fatty liver is the fastest rising cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis worldwide, noting that ‘people who are overweight, diabetic, or hypertensive are prone to developing fatty liver.’

The Medical City bared that “[a]round 16,500 Filipinos die because of liver disease and their complications based on the World Health Organization 2017 data. That comprises 2.65% of the total deaths in 2017 making it the fourth leading cause of death in our country.”

TMC elaborated, “The most common cause of end-stage liver disease in children is biliary atresia. It is a debilitating liver disease occurring in 1 of every 16,000 newborns. Bile, a substance secreted by the liver to help metabolize fat, is unable to pass down to the intestines due to anatomic deficiencies or inflammation of the passageways (bile ducts). As bile builds up, the liver deteriorates necessitating a liver transplant within the first few years of life.

Chronic hepatitis infection, alcoholic liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease account for the most common causes of liver disorders of adult Filipinos. Approximately 20% of this disease population will develop liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Hepatocellular Carcinoma, a type of liver cancer, is the seventh most common cause of cancer in women, it is second only to lung cancer among Filipino men, and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the Philippines overall. For most of these patients with severe complications of liver disease, the only option is liver transplantation.”

Based on the information shared by the DOH, PCMC and TMC, the PAsLiT program is poised to continue serving the Filipinos and, specifically, to continue saving the lives of poor Filipino kids from the deadly liver disease.

📷 DOH FB