CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — United States Agency for International Development TB Platforms Project (USAID’s TB Platforms) has been assisting local government units (LGUs) in the full implementation of Republic Act No. 11223 otherwise known as Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
It launched the “Usapang Dibdiban” which is a comprehensive discussion with local chief executives, health officers and National Tuberculosis Control Program coordinators. It highlights essential details of the UHC Act as presented by Department of Health (DOH).
“To date, 43 Usapang Dibdiban sessions were held this year engaging 24 LGUs in Central Luzon and 19 LGUs in CALABARZON. All of them expressed support in the full implementation of UHC and the immediate passage of local TB ordinances which provides annual budget appropriation for the procurement of drugs and hiring of additional human resource for diagnosis, care and treatment,” USAID’s TB Platforms Social and Behavior Change Communications Specialist Diwata de Castro-Paredes said.
With support from the regional offices of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and provincial offices of Department of the Interior and Local Government, USAID’s TB Platforms also provides technical assistance to LGUs in the establishment of primary care provider network given the commitment of the local health board to make TB a priority amid COVID-19.
USAID’s TB Platforms, in partnership with DOH National TB Control Program and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, also organized a webinar for all elected officials to consolidate agreements related to the UHC implementation and strengthening of local TB response amid the pandemic.
Invited representatives from DOH and UHC champions shared ongoing initiatives and efforts from UHC Advance Implementation Sites to guide gradual implementation in other areas and ensure prioritization of TB health services.
“We are happy to work with dynamic local chief executives who are championing TB response amid COVID-19, celebrities turned #EndTB Ambassadors, civil leaders leading their organizations’ support to #End TB campaign and most of all to the members of the media who have been with us since we started raising public awareness on TB as a killer disease amid COVID19. With all of them rallying with us along with our frontliners, the community healthcare workers, we believe we will succeed,” USAID’s TB Platforms Project’s Chief of Party Marianne Calnan said.
For 20 years now, USAID has provided PhP30 billion for the Philippine health sector to realize its national development goals.
For 2018-2022, USAID is investing more than PhP3 billion to support the National TB Control Program and help DOH reduce the number of TB cases.
Philippine Information Agency is USAID’s TB Platforms’ primary advocacy partner in the dissemination of information about the implementation of UHC Law as well as in raising public awareness about TB as a killer disease amid COVID-19.