In Infanta, Quezon, Aida, 51, helps children grow up healthy and safe. For nearly three decades, she has served as a midwife in the community, giving children life-saving immunization on time, guiding mothers through maternal care, and teaching communities to report diseases early.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when no one else could take on the swabbing duties, Aida stepped up. For two years, she and her fellow midwives were in the frontline of the municipality’s COVID-19 detection efforts, protecting children and families from the deadly virus.
When Save the Children Philippines’ STRIDES Project was implemented in Infanta, Aida, as the designated Disease Surveillance Officer, actively took part. She trained health workers and helped set up a community-based surveillance unit with a digital reporting system. Her work and ownership of the project helped ensure that children will grow up with fewer health risks and healthier childhoods.
“For me, it’s a big help because many caregivers, if the child’s illness isn’t severe, they really won’t go to the health center. Now, through community-based disease surveillance in the area, I can already monitor if someone is sick. Even with just a simple fever, I know right away,” she said.
Through these timely reports, Aida acts quickly and guides families to seek care before a child’s illness worsens.
“If health cases arise, I follow up with them and guide them on what steps to take. For example, if it’s dengue, we carry out vector search and destroy activities and gather the people in the community. We then ask if any children or family members show dengue symptoms so they can be checked right away,” Aida explained.
To strengthen capacities of community health workers, the project co-designed training materials with them and translated these into their local language for easier understanding. For many, these materials have become a go-to guide—like a trusted handbook—for their daily work of protecting children and supporting families.
“With the trainings they received, whenever there are health cases in the barangay, I ask the BHWs to take the first look. They also have their module in Filipino, which guides them to identify signs and symptoms,” she shared.
Aida remains committed to doing her part—no matter how big or small the task—in building a stronger disease surveillance system that build a healthier future for children.
“As a midwife, whatever task is given to me, I always give my best,” she happily said.
Aida’s leadership shows how local health workers, when equipped with training and digital tools, can transform disease surveillance in their own communities. Her example in Infanta offers a model that other municipalities can follow, ensuring more children across Quezon and beyond, grow up healthy, safe, and free from preventable diseases. #