Philippines cited by WHO on health research
THE Philippines has been cited among the few countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Health Evidence Network (HEN) report that looks into the health research systems of different nations.
The WHO — in the HEN report titled “What is the evidence on policies, interventions and tools for establishing and/ or strengthening national health research systems and their effectiveness?” — cited the Philippines as a role model for low- to middle- income countries with a comprehensive national strategy for health research.
The HEN is an information service for public health decisionmakers in the WHO European Region.
The report identified the Philippines as among the countries that made significant progress in line with the institutionalization of the Philippine National Health Research System (NHRS) through Republic Act 10532 in 2013.
“Defining and articulating a vision for the NHRS is important in providing an overall direction and purpose for the activities involved in establishing and strengthening the system,” the report said.
“AmBisyon Natin 2040” was also briefly cited as a “22- year vision for the Philippines, which provided a framework within which to develop a longterm vision for the country’s health research.”
Meanwhile, the report also highlighted the support given to research projects aligned with the National Unified Health Research Agenda and the accreditation of research ethics committees.
It noted that in 2016, the country was able to address 45 of the 56 priority topics in health, which includes the country’s focus on innovation, particularly with its “Tuklas Lunas” program that leverages on the country’s biodiversity.
The report also illustrated the partnership between the Department of Science and TechnologyPhilippine Council for Health Research and Development and the United States National Institutes of Health to create a platform for a coordinated approach to tuberculosis research, and with the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council for infectious disease projects in institutions in both countries.