CITY OF SAN FERNANDO---Department of Health (DOH) Acting Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire called for the strengthening of research institutions and communities, and an increase of research products to realize the country’s health goals.
“The pandemic was challenging for all, particularly for our researchers who have risked their lives to continue going to the field, laboratories or hospitals. However, the silver lining that the pandemic brought was better science literacy or even evidence literacy for decision makers, and for a segment of the population, a better appreciation of science driven policies," she said.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. Supported the move during the the week-long 15th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week celebration at Clark Freeport.
It serves as a venue for the health research community to share their insights, best practices, and experiences in developing innovative solution to contribute to national recovery towards achieving resilience through health research and development.
“This community needs to deliver. Even so, as we gear-up to implement what the Universal Health Care Act has promised, health policy and systems research become as important as clinical research,” she said, adding that health research landscape is still far from perfect but was better than it was before the pandemic.
Vergeire cited the Philippine Genome Center of University of the Philippines its role in the country’s COVID-19 response, along withthe DOH and Department of Science and Technology which are at the forefront of ensuring the presidential directive of establishing the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Virology Institute of the Philippines.
Vergeire said the government’s all-out support through scholarship programs, eyeing some 300 scholars who will be sent for masters and PhDs in health to top universities globally, and upon return, bolster UHC implementation and Center for Disease Prevention and Control operations.
“As we carry on the battle of COVID-19, and march toward UHC, our interest must converge to an even greater degree and result in an even greater determination to achieve our health goals,” she said.