Strengthening the Philippine Primary Healthcare

At the Feb 12 roundtable titled, “Strengthening the PH Health System,” renowned surgeon and USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Dr. Atul Gawande discussed key takeaways from his visit to the Philippines, Jan 29-Feb 1. He affirmed USAID’s support of the Marcos administration’s major policy and financing commitment to radically strengthen primary health system, capacity building and infrastructure at the community “barangay” level—the key scaffolding to enable longer life and better health for all Filipinos. Citing the Magna Carta of Barangay Healthcare Workers that is being pushed in the Philippine House of Representatives, Dr. Gawande described the bill as “a major step toward professionalizing, guaranteeing minimum payment levels, transportation and health benefits, providing access to internet and data when using electronic health records on the phone.”

Confronted with high cases of tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria, and other infectious disease outbreaks, USAID and local partners embarked on innovative approaches to case-finding strategies, expanding preventative therapies, and ensuring access to the care and treatment. Dr. Gawande witnessed frontline rural health workers in Bataan deliver services utilizing innovative technology that enable real-time encoding of patient records.

USAID has also deployed AI-based chest X-ray to detect and treat TB on the same day, a program implemented by URC in the Philippines. Between 2021 and 2023, URC screened 36,010 people and detected 396 TB cases using ultraportable X-ray coupled with AI-driven computer-aided detection that increased TB screening and reduced turnaround time in remote and disadvantaged communities.

The Philippines is one of seven countries in USAID’s global initiative “Primary Impact,” an effort to enhance the delivery of primary health care which aligns with the Philippine Development Roadmap’s core mission to provide comfortable and secure life to all Filipinos.

Roundtable with USAID AA Dr. Atul Gawande