Home » Population, Health and Nutrition
INVESTING IN PEOPLE: HEALTH
Improved family health sustainably achieved
OVERVIEW
Filipinos suffer from high rates of malnutrition, hig
h infant and maternal mortality, and one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) rates in
the world. HIV prevalence remains low, but still poses a risk. The
rate of population growth, at 2.05% per year from 2000-2004, is one
of the highest in Southeast Asia. At the same time, the documented
gap between actual fertility (3.5 children per woman) versus wanted
fertility (2.5 children per woman) signals a significant unmet need for
reproductive health services and commodities.
USAID seeks the enhanced capacity of provinces, cities, municipalities and the private sector to provide quality health services. USAIDsupported programs focus on promoting access to prevention and treatment for TB, maternal and child health care including voluntary family planning, micro-nutrient supplementation and food fortification, surveillance and prevention of HIV/ AIDS and emerging diseases like avian influenza. All USAID activities support the Philippine government's health sector reform agenda and are implemented through a bilateral assistance agreement with the Philippine Department of Health.
PROGRAMS
STRENGTHENING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS’ MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
USAID helps improve health service delivery by providing technical assistance to provinces, cities and municipalities to strengthen: (1) management systems; (2) financing for priority health programs; and (3) service provider performance. Currently, there are few active community interest groups that assist local officials to find solutions to the systemic problems that beset local governments, in particular the ability to provide quality health services to the poor. USAID supports civil society to engage with government in policy dialogue on improving health care systems and fostering greater public sector accountability. USAID is working with chambers of commerce and business associations to establish family health programs in the workplace.
EXPANDING THE ROLE OF PRIVATE HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS
USAID assistance helps to promote the provision of private sector health services to those who can afford to pay for them. A strengthened private sector health system will allow the government to focus its limited public resources on better serving the poor and ensuring that quality services are available and accessible to all. USAID grants and technical assistance are helping to develop a robust private sector for basic health service delivery such as maternal and child health care, reproductive health, TB treatment, HIV/AIDS prevention, micronutrient supplementation and food fortification. USAID is also working with private sector partners to enhance capacity to respond to emerging diseases such as avian influenza.
DEVELOPING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AND PRACTICES
Communications can play an integral part in an effective response to health challenges. USAID works with health officials to inform the public of appropriate health practices, signs and symptoms of common health disorders, availability of health services, and national and local health policies. At the same time, USAID also works with policymakers to raise their awareness of key health issues to strengthen the policy formulation processes at national and local levels.
IMPROVING THE POLICY ENVIRONMENT FOR FINANCING AND PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES
The Philippine government, donors and other stakeholders recognize that the expanded delivery of health services has been hampered by ineffective regulatory policies and guidelines. USAID provides assistance to the Philippine government to formulate and implement policies to: (1) ensure the availability of health commodities; (2) improve health service provision; and (3) assure sustainable (3) financing to improve maternal and child health, enhance reproductive health, and reduce TB and HIV/AIDS prevalence.
