February 28, 2023 — The University of the Philippines Manila National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health (DOH) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), one for the creation of the Institute of Health Promotion (IHP) and two, for the expansion of the National Practice Guidelines Program, during the NIH’s 25th anniversary conference on Feb. 27, 2023.
The IHP aims to strengthen health promotion through the conduct of health promotion research and contributing to evidence-informed policy advocacy.
Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire, OIC Secretary of the DOH, stressed that the DOH, together with the NIH, is committed to taking on the development of a productive, resilient, equitable, and people-centered health care system. She added that the IHP shall conduct research, including participatory action research and other evidence-generation activities that will improve health literacy among the community.
"The creation of the Institute of Health Promotion is a signal that we have to go beyond the usual ways of promoting health among our people," emphasized Chancellor Carmencita Padilla. She added that having an office specifically for this will target different sectors of society, and having a dedicated budget makes it even more successful because you can hire more people to help work move faster for the greater good.
The expanded National Practice Guideline Program, on the other hand, aims to strengthen the partnership between NIH and DOH for evidence reviews, clinical practice guidelines (CPG) development, health research, and capacity building.
Dr. Catherine B. Reyes, director of the new institute, stated that the signing of the two MOUs is a testament to the long history of the DOH and NIH in embarking on adaptive collaborations and partnerships that promote health research capacity building and policy advocacy.
Charmaine Lingdas