Press Release/02 July 2020
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Philippines, collaboration between the experts, government, and all vulnerable stakeholders has been vital in the promotion of public health.
In today’s Beat COVID-19 Virtual Presser, Health OIC-Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire led a discussion with public health experts from the University of the Philippines College of Public Health (UP-CPH) on the role each sector can play to improve the public health situation in the Philippines.
According to the Dean of the UP College of Public Health, Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., capacity-building throughout all sectors of society could immensely improve the country’s response to public health issues. Belizario noted how professionals not just from the health sector but from different fields such as security and communications, could take various short courses and academic programs to develop skills and expertise in public health, and eventually contribute to solving public health crises.
“Ang capacity building ay hindi lamang for health professionals. Ang public health ay hindi lamang para sa mga doctor,” says Belizario. ”Ang public health ay nangangailangan ng tulong ng iba’t ibang klaseng eksperto - hindi lang ang health, pati ang non-health. Kasama ang private at public. Capacity-building is for all.”
Belizario says that this is where collaboration is pivotal, because health experts and officials can dedicate their efforts to empower Filipinos to protect themselves, while experts from other fields can contribute to the practices of public health.
Moreover, much of the health response, not only for COVID-19, is executed by the Local Government Units (LGUs) and the private sector. “By working with the Department of Health and public health experts, these groups would be better able to serve the public,” says Belizario.
This collaboration is critical in disease surveillance where much of the information is collected by LGUs and hospital frontliners. For UP-CPH Epidemiology Professor Kim Carmela Co, “Ang surveillance ay mahalagang bahagi ng response sa COVID-19 para malaman sino, kailan, saan at gaano karaming impeksyon ang nangyayari para magabayan ang strategies.”
UP-CPH envisions a public health academic network that pools together all public health education institutions to better provide assistance to other stakeholders, such as the LGUs, the private sector, and the general public.
“Napakalaking challenge ng paghahanda sa isang public health challenge katulad ng COVID-19. Sumabay ang COVID-19 sa iba pa nating public health challenges, gaya ng tuberculosis, HIV, at non-communicable diseases,” said Belizario. “Kami sa UP, hindi namin sinasabing kakayanin namin 'to mag-isa. Kailangan makipag-partner tayo sa ibang matitibay na academic institutions sa bansa.”
UP-CPH Health Promotion and Education Professor Buenalyn Teresita Ramos-Mortel echoed Belizario’s sentiments saying, “Mahalagang ma-develop ang capacities ng ating mga critical audiences and our critical audiences are not just the people na mga policy makers,” said Mortel. “Kailangan din po natin ang taumbayan and of course, our healthcare workers.”