Health research is a key part of national development plan

By CARINA REBULANAN
PCHRD

Policy makers have started to recognize the vital role of health research in national development and have included health R&D in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for 2004-2010. 

The plan is the roadmap that guides Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s 10-point development agenda for the next six years.  It is the result of a series of consultations with various sectors of society such as government, private and non-government organizations crafted by the National Economic Development Authority. 

The MTPDP consists of five parts—Part I: Economic Growth and Job Creation; Part II: Energy; Part III|: Social Justice and Basic Needs; Part IV: Education and Youth; and Part V: Anti-Corruption and Good Governance.

Health was included in Part III of the Plan, specifically under Chapter 12 on Responding to the Basic Needs of the Poor. 

Along with improving health and productivity through R&D, other highlights in the plan are: 1) reduce the cost of medicines bought by the poor to half of their 2004 prices; 2) expand health insurance particularly for indigents through premium subsidy; 3) strengthen national and local health system through the implementation of Health Sector Reform Agenda; 4) improve the health care management system; and, 5) establish drug treatment and rehabilitation centers and expand existing ones.

Strategic activities were identified for each of these priorities that draw resources from the government, private, and official development assistance for until 2010. 

There are two activities under health R&D.  The first is the promotion, implementation, and monitoring of activities under the Philippine National Health Research and Development or PNHRS launched in March 1997 by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Health.

PNHRS aims to promote and enhance cooperation between and among the organizations and networks within the PNHRS to share and pool resources; develop capacities for knowledge production, use and management, research management, and financing; and to avoid duplication, thus deliver solutions with greater impact to the pressing health problems of the country. 

Activities under PNHRS pertain to its components such as research management, ethics, research utilization, capacity development, system governance and monitoring and evaluation, and resource generation.

Another strategic activity identified in the plan was the conduct of R&D in priority areas, such as biomedical R&D, and operational health research concerns. 

Biomedical R&D refers to priorities set by PCHRD-DOST for 2004-2010. Operational health research refers to areas under DOH’s Health Sector Reform Agenda for 2004-2010. 

Biomedical concerns cover development of natural products for priority concerns; development of biological/vaccines for priority health problems, development of technologies and processes and telehealth/bioinformatics development.  

R&D concerns under HSRA are along DOH’s five priority reform areas such as health regulation, hospital reforms, health care financing, local health systems development, and public health reforms.

DOST, DOH, the private sector, non-government organizations, academe, local government units, and professional societies are expected to actively take part in health R&D activities.

Inclusion of health research in the MTPDP indicates that it finally integrated into the mainstream of development, which is a welcome step for health researchers in the country.