Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9288)
The short title of Republic Act No. 9288 is the "Newborn Screening Act of 2004."
The policy of the State is to protect and promote the right to health of the people, including children's right to survival and full healthy development, by institutionalizing a comprehensive, integrative, and sustainable national newborn screening system.
The objectives include ensuring every newborn accesses newborn screening for heritable conditions, integrating a sustainable newborn screening system in public health, ensuring health practitioners understand their responsibilities, and promoting parental responsibility in protecting children's health through newborn screening.
A 'Newborn' is defined as a child from the time of complete delivery up to 30 days old.
Newborn screening is the process of collecting a few drops of blood from a newborn onto an appropriate collection card and performing biochemical testing to determine if the newborn has a heritable condition.
Any health practitioner who delivers or assists in the delivery of a newborn in the Philippines must inform the parents or legal guardian about the availability, nature, and benefits of newborn screening prior to delivery.
Newborn screening must be performed after 24 hours of life but not later than 3 days from complete delivery. If the newborn requires intensive care, testing must be done by 7 days of age.
Yes, parents or legal guardians may refuse testing on grounds of religious beliefs, but they must acknowledge in writing that refusal places the newborn at risk for undiagnosed heritable conditions, with such refusal documented in medical records and the national database.
The DOH is the lead agency responsible for implementing the Act, establishing the Advisory Committee, developing implementing rules, coordinating with other agencies, and ensuring accreditation and quality standards of newborn screening centers.
The Committee consists of eight members, including the Secretary of Health as Chairperson, and is responsible for reviewing conditions to be screened, newborn screening fees, quality assurance reports, and recommending corrective measures.
Health institutions must provide newborn screening services as a condition for licensure or accreditation by the DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC).
It is a facility equipped with a newborn screening laboratory complying with NIH standards, providing required lab tests and follow-up programs for newborns with heritable conditions.
The Reference Center defines testing and follow-up protocols, maintains a national database and case registries, oversees proficiency testing, assists training, disseminates educational materials, and acts as Secretariat of the Advisory Committee.
At least 4% goes to DOH Centers for Health Development for follow-up and education, 4% to Newborn Screening Centers for human resource development, 4% to the NIH Reference Center for supervision and training, and the balance covers operational expenses of the centers.
Other provisions not affected by such declaration shall continue to be in full force and effect as per the separability clause.