DOH Visit

This week I had a chance to visit some folks at the Philippines Department of Health, and I learned a great deal about all of the health-related action here in the Philippines.  I had the chance to speak with two people about both the reproductive health law and a new research priority-setting law.  I feel very fortunate to be in this country doing work related to many of these new exciting new changes!

First, I’ll talk about the issue that has all the attention here in the Philippines…the Reproductive Health Law.  As I spoke with a DOH staff member about the most recent news about the law, it was striking to see how similar it is to what is happening in the US regarding the Affordable Care Act.  Last year, the ACA was reviewed by the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of the law (it was passed).  Similarly, the Reproductive Health Law has hit a number of snags along the way and it is currently in the Philippines Supreme Court to determine if it is also constitutional.  Just like the ACA has divided much of the country over health care issues, the Reproductive Health Law has been a polarizing issue even within the DOH itself.  Had I worked at the DOH this summer, I would have likely worked on a supply chain project to evaluate how the government would deliver freely available contraceptives to its citizens.  Like many low to middle-income countries, last mile problems are all too common, but one could only imagine how much more difficult it is in the Philippines, a country composed of over 7,000 different islands!  Based on my conversation, I had the feeling that much like the ACA, there is still a ways to go before the law becomes effective.

I also had the chance to speak with someone who told me about the recent changes in health research priorities in the Philippines.  We had a very interesting conversation that helped inform my project, but what was most interesting was in regards to the creation of a National Health Research System.  This new system pools funds from various departments within the government to set and fund health research priorities in the Philippines.  Similarly, I was struck by how similar this is to the recent resolution that was passed at the World Health Assembly to hopefully use funds from different Member States to invest in R&D for neglected diseases.  The research I am conducting now will help determine how these funds will be invested.  Therefore, I am excited to hear more about how this new research initiative moves forward, as the WHO moves in a similar direction.

All in all, I had a great time at the DOH, and I am very thankful for chance to speak to the people who are closest to these new laws.  I have less than a week left here in the Philippines, and it is bittersweet to say the least.  My wife is leaving today, so it will be a boring weekend for me.  But it will give me time to prepare for my presentations early next week…wish me luck!