Photo credit: the Manila Times
The promise of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law remains clear: equitable access to quality health services and essential medicines for all Filipinos.
The Manila Times reports that there are gaps to financing, procurement and the data systems continue to slow its full rollout.
In response, government agencies, the private sector, civil society and global partners convened in Makati for a multi sectoral dialogue hosted by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) and UH C Watch at the Asian Institute of Management.
PHAP Executive Director Teodoro Padilla emphasized that medicine access “is not only a health issue, it is a system issue.” He highlighted the need for strong financing, supply chains and regulatory systems to support UHC.
Two key studies anchored the dialogue: ADB-ThinkWell”s “Strengthening the Medicine Access Pathway” and PHAP”s “Pathway to Inclusive Access.”
Both underlined the importance of policy coherence, evidence-based decision-making and strategic public-private collaboration to strengthen UHC implementation.
Representatives of the organizations presented ;papers. While closing the dialogue, Teodoro Padilla stressed that delivering UHC would require evidence-based policymaking, coordination and accountability.
rities
He went on to emphasize three critical priorities: strengthening health financing and strategic purchasing, improving procurement and supply chain systems, and harnessing data for informed health care decisions
