Health specialists, researchers to prioritize marginalized communities By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter What is a good research if it has no impact to marginalized communities? With this in mind, around 500 participants from the regional health research organizations all over the country who attended the 7th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) week convention at the Plaza Del Norte on August 7-9 are eyeing for the effective translation of their research outputs by ensuring that these are felt and understood particularly by the Indigenous Peoples (IPs), persons with disabilities (PWDs) including people living in geographically isolated disadvantage areas (GIDA). On August 8, a paper on research actions for marginalized communities was presented by Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, president of the Health Futures Foundation, Inc., urging health researchers all over the country to focus on people’s health needs in support to the national government’s effort, institutionalizing the Philippine National Health Research Fund (PNHRF), which provide subsidies for research and development projects. Republic Act 10532 or the Philippine National Health Research System Act of 2013, was signed into law on May 7. The PNHRS was institutionalized within the mandate of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, the overall coordinating body for health research in the country. The passing of the health act guarantees at least two percent or equivalent to one billion pesos of the national budget to be allotted for health research and development. In the Philippines, there are more than 11 million IPs, about 1.5 million PWDs and 4,720 geographically disadvantage barangays with limited access to health care services, according to Tan. “We haven’t done enough to help them,” said Tan referring to the marginalized communities who needed much health care attention to uplift their living conditions. During the three-day conference, discussions about how to reach out to the marginalized communities had been on top of the health system agenda while identifying ways and actions to know them better. By doing so, Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) said on Thursday that in an effort to provide and make universal health care accessible to the marginalized communities, there is a need for research actions which will pave the way for cheaper medicines and more efficient delivery of health services. Hosted by the Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium (R1HRDC), the PNHRS week celebration has a theme “People at the center of health and health research” meant to promote cooperation and integration of all health research efforts in the country to make a difference in the lives of people. Dr. Maria Lourdes Otayza, chair of R1HRDC said, “The celebration paves the way to the different stakeholders in health to interact and share information and experiences in providing research-based solutions to health problems.” The PNHRS’s core agencies namely the Department of Health, PCHRD-DOST, Commission on Higher Education and the National Institutes of Health of the University of the Philippines were also present during the three-day conference which include for a for health specialists, students and professionals, research output competition and poster exhibits. Presidential proclamation 1309 in 2007 declares every second week of August as celebration of the PNHRS week.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 00:13:53 +0000
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