Cagayan De Oro City — Health sector stakeholders gathered at the Xavier University in this city to discuss the best healthcare innovation practices to encourage the adoption of these practices, and address persistent disparities in health amid a growing economy.
At least four innovative health programs were presented in a round-table discussion led by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), the government policy think tank tapped by the Washington-based Center for Health Market Innovations for the implementation of the project dubbed "Health Market Innovations.”
More than 100 participants coming from the various local government units (LGUs), academic institutions, health offices, regional offices of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Center for Development offices of the Department of Health, and non-government organizations participated in the recent discussion.
PIDS president Gilberto Llanto said health innovations show the creativity of Filipinos in addressing the very large disparities in health.
"It is indispensable for the country to deal with the very large under investment in health where government health staff stagnated at around 36,000 since year 2000, despite the country’s 1.7 million annual population growth,” he said.
"We need to innovate to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for health,” said Oscar Picazo, PIDS senior research consultant and board chairman of the Philippine NGO Support Program, Inc.
"The Health Market Innovations project builds linkages among health innovators, funders, and policymakers. It also provides information for those who do not know that there are funders for better health care delivery,” he added.//
