Title
Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Act
Law
Republic Act No. 9709
Decision Date
Aug 12, 2009
The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 2009 in the Philippines establishes a comprehensive program to prevent, diagnose, and intervene in hearing loss in newborns, including the establishment of screening centers, a national database, and government intervention for treatment.

Q&A (Republic Act No. 9709)

The short title of Republic Act No. 9709 is the "Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 2009."

The policy is to protect and promote the right to health of the people, including the rights of children to survival, full and healthy development, and emphasizes the early detection and intervention of congenital hearing loss among newborns and infants.

The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program (UNHSP) is established to institutionalize measures for prevention, early diagnosis, referral, follow-up, early intervention services, and family counseling for newborns with hearing loss.

Healthcare practitioners include physicians, nurses, midwives, nursing aides, and traditional birth attendants.

Healthcare practitioners who deliver or assist in delivery must inform parents or legal guardians of the availability, nature, and benefits of hearing loss screening prior to delivery. They must also ensure newborn hearing loss screening is performed before hospital discharge unless refused by parents or guardians.

A newborn with a positive screening result shall undergo an audiologic diagnostic evaluation by certified Newborn Hearing Screening Centers timely, with appropriate follow-up, recall, referral, and early intervention before the age of six months.

Yes, parents or legal guardians may refuse screening on religious and/or cultural grounds but must acknowledge in writing their responsibility and risks of non-screening. The refusal waiver is made part of the newborn's medical record and registered in the national database.

The DOH is the lead agency responsible for coordinating with other government and private sectors, certifying screening centers, monitoring screening implementation, developing rehabilitation programs, and issuing implementing rules and regulations.

NHSCs undertake hearing loss screening, audiologic diagnostic evaluations, recall, follow-up, and referral programs for infants with hearing loss, and must be certified by the DOH based on standards developed with the NIH.

The program's funding shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) shall cover the cost of hearing loss screening as part of its benefit package.

A newborn is defined as an infant from the time of complete delivery to thirty (30) days old.

Hospitals and Newborn Screening Centers must periodically submit copies of screening test results to the NIH Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center for database consolidation and monitoring.

Newborns not born in hospitals should be screened within the first three (3) months after birth. The attending healthcare practitioner must refer the newborn to the appropriate local health centers for hearing screening and evaluation.

Intervention includes counseling, diagnosis, provision of hearing aids, and any medical procedures for correction or treatment of hearing loss.

The DOH must conduct ongoing information, education, reeducation, and training programs for healthcare practitioners about the benefits, rationale, and procedures of newborn hearing screening and produce related materials annually.

The provincial hospital must refer the newborn to a DOH Tertiary Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, or other national government-funded hospitals for appropriate treatment, with funding from the local government's internal revenue allotment.

The Advisory Committee is expanded to include representatives from the Philippines Society of Otorhinolaryngology and the Philippine Society of Audiology to ensure effective implementation of the Act.

Parents or legal guardians must be informed about the availability, nature, benefits, and intervention options for newborn hearing screening and congenital hearing loss before delivery, as well as after positive screening results.

The NIH Newborn Hearing Screening Reference Center maintains a national database and registry, submits annual reports to the DOH, and conducts applied research on detection, diagnosis, treatment, costs, effectiveness, causes, and outcomes related to congenital hearing loss.


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