Philippines HiT launched
The health of Filipinos has improved considerably in the past 60 years, thanks to improved social conditions and a strengthened health system with modern technologies, finds the Philippines Health in Transition (HiT) report, released by the Department of Health and the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (APO), a WHO special programme housed in WHO’S Western Pacific Region Office. It was launched at an event on October 10 2012 in Manila that also commemorated the Philippines membership in the APO.
Dr. Alberto G. Romualdez, former Philippines Secretary for Health and the report’s lead author said: “This first comprehensive review of the country’s health system highlights both the strengths of the Philippines health system and the key challenges it faces.”
Public health interventions delivered by government health services are achieving universal coverage, and sophisticated curative interventions are available in major metropolitan areas, but there are significant challenges, notably the rise in noncommunicable diseases and reaching populations in remote areas.
The Philippines HiT is the second in a series of HiTs from the APO after Fiji and followed by Malaysia. A further 11 HiTs are in progress throughout the Asia and Pacific region.
