BAGUIO CITY–The Department of Health in the region aims for a healthy Cordillera by 2022 through the Philippine Health Agenda of the Duterte Administration, with the theme, “All For Health Towards Health for All” or “Lahat Para sa Kalusugan! Tungo sa Kalusugan Para sa Lahat”.
Lilia Rose Say-awen, DOH-Cordillera Planning Officer, explained during the recent Health Leadership and Governance Program (HLGP) Workshop for DOH-CAR staff and partner-agencies that the Philippine Health Agenda framework is anchored on the Ambisyon Natin 2040 which represents the collective long-term vision and aspirations of the Filipino people for themselves and for the country for the next 25 years.
The national government agenda aspires to attain all health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It aims for Financial Protection where Filipinos, especially the poor are protected from high cost of health care; Better Health Outcomes where Filipinos attain the best possible health outcome with no disparity; and Responsiveness where Filipinos feel respected, valued and empowered in all of their interaction with the health system, she added.
The new health agenda framework will be attainable through a seven-point strategy coined as “ACHIEVE”.
These strategies are: A- advance quality, health promotion and primary care; C -Cover all Filipinos against health-related financial risk; H- Harness the power of strategic Human Resources for Health (HRH) development; I- Invest in eHealth and data for decision-making; E- Enforce standards, accountability and transparency; V- Value all clients and patients, especially the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable; E- Elicit multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder support for health.
“With our goals enabled with values on equity, quality, efficiency, transparency, accountability, sustainability and resilience, we hope that our three health guarantees, namely; service delivery networks, all-life stages and triple burden of disease, and universal health insurance achieved by 2022,“ Say-awen said.
She shared that in the last 30 years of health sector reform, the health department has undertaken key structural reforms and continuously built on programs towards a step closer to the aspiration.
Among the milestones in the health sector include devolution of some health services to local government units, Generics Act of 1988, Milk Code, National Health Insurance Program, fiscal autonomy for government hospitals, good governance like ISO certification, DOH resources to promote local health system development and funding for Universal Health Care. **By Maria Aprila Cruz
