31 October 2022 — The UP Manila College of Public Health hosted the 53rd Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Annual international Conference which was held in the Philippines on 22-23 Sept. 2022. The conference aimed to develop a concrete plan of action that would help higher education institutions (HEIs) to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr. Maria Rosario S. Vergeire, Dept of Health officer-in-charge, acknowledged that the journey towards universal healthcare entais collaboration and partnerships in strengthening primary care. She added that aligning health human resources for health production needs integrating multiple systems. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the deep-seated and perpetual public health challenges, it also pushed for the formation of robust and resilient health systems.
“To responsively address healthcare system gaps, health intersectoral collaboration must be strengthened and plans and policies to ensure needs-based production and retention of our human resources for health must be harmonized. This will be done through our joint efforts to implement reforms in the sector of higher education,” Dr. Vergeire affirmed.
Dr. Vergeire identified the ways by which, with the support of the HEIs, the DOH can ensure availability of schools offering courses for health and allied health professionals across all regions. Focusing on strengthened reorientation to primary care courses and additional focus on public health programs, universal healthcare objectives need to be aligned and integrated in the health education curriculum of HEIs. Internships can be introduced in DOH health facilities.
Expanding local and international scholarship programs will also help address the needed expertise in the health sector for an equitable and accessible healthcare system. Dr. Vergeire exhorted the participants to approach the profession with dynamism and translate their passion into excellent contributions to public health practice for this and future generations.
“Together, we will be steadfast in our universal commitment to protect and promote the right to health of all individuals.”
Dr. Agustin Kusumayati, APACPH president, highlighted the roles and contributions of HEIs in restructuring global health architecture in a way that can strengthen global health resilience and make the global health system more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to crises.
HEIs are not only limited to teaching and research; but are important key players in influencing health policy and monitoring, shaping the educational landscape, and providing knowledge and skills development to inspire solutions to the unique social, environmental, economic, and health challenges of our time.
UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita D. Padilla put the same emphasis on advancing public health in the Philippines and encouraged the attendees to be at the forefront of national and international discussions on public health issues. According to her, this initiative is very important since narratives play a critical role in the formation of public health policies.
“This conference brings together the expertise, the knowledge, and even the culture and traditions of multinational institutions across the land. No matter how far apart and how diverse our countries are, as public health institutions and bastions of higher learning, we are united by one common goal, and that is to at least advance the various public health challenges that we are facing,” said CPH Dean Fernando B. Garcia in his opening remarks.
Dr. Indika Mahesh Karunathilake, APACPH secretary general, tackled the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among HEIs in attaining the SDGs during his delivery of the Dr. Walter Patrick Memorial Lecture. He noted that although the transition to the new normal poses challenges, promoting the SDG principles among HEIs is attainable given proper support and research.
The APACPH is an international organization of scientists, researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners in public health across Asia and its nearby regions that foster networks and collaborations across institutions.
Francis Nicole Maga, Anne Marie Alto, Charmaine Lingdas, and Haziel May Natorilla
Published in UP Manila Healthscape Issue No. 44 (October 2022)
