More than 500 members of the health community, composed of researchers, educators, practitioners, administrators, and leaders participated in the celebration of the 17th anniversary of the National Institutes of Health and the 13th Science and Technology Week held on Feb. 26 and 27 at the Bayanihan Hall, United Laboratories, Mandaluyong City. This time, the theme of the celebration was the role of research and policy on health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan.

In a message read by Asst. Sec. Dr. Paulyn Rossell Ubial, Acting Health Sec. Dr. Janette Garin acknowledged the fruitful collaboration between DOH and NIH that has been instrumental in the development of national health programs and policies. The acting health secretary enumerated the outstanding achievements borne by the DOH-NIH partnership.  These include the Newborn Screening Program that has just expanded to cover more metabolic disorders, Newborn Hearing Screening Program, and control programs for various neglected tropical diseases.

She cited the  NIH’s Universal Health Care Study Group that has been deeply involved in monitoring the Kalusugang Pangkalahatan program of the national government. She thanked and expressed appreciation to UPM-NIH and partners, the Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, Commission on Higher Education, and others.

Representing PCHRD Executive Director Jaime Montoya, Ms. Merlita Opeña, director of PCHRD’s Department of Research Information, Dissemination and Communication and Utilization Division, stated that with UPM-NIH as partner in health research and development, we seek your help in data gathering and institutionalization of information can be achieved.  She cited the importance of getting the right information as an indicator of how strong our system is, how healthy is the Philippine National Health Research Information System.

“I know that the bulk of information resides at the UPM NIH. I think we have a good picture of how healthy our health research information system is and how our experts can help the regional consortia of health research information system in the country.  You can mentor the researchers in the region so that over time, we can have equity in research productivity,” she said.

For her part, Chancellor Padilla challenged the health researchers to engage in collaborative research undertakings because this is the only for research to create an impact and benefit the people.   She cited the triple partnership among the UPM-NIH, DOH and DOST in health research, recalling her experience with newborn screening.

She said that newborn screening started with a research way back 1996 with a P500,000 grant from PCHRD. Nobody expected in 1996 that we will go this far.  Never did I think that the day will come that 5,000 hospitals will implement the output of that research.  And for that I thank PCHRD for giving us this window of opportunity and the DOH for taking it up.  The UPM chancellor urged the researchers with a vision in mind to take the first step, reminding them that small steps can actually go a long way. 

“Research is useless if nobody will pick it up. I tell researchers, especially young ones, that small ideas are important, small ideas that have been studied well enough, carefully strategized and submitted to proper funding agencies who understand the importance of these ideas.” 

Through the NIH, together with partner universities and institutions, we commit to the goal of being the pacesetter of scientific work and technology development in health promotion and disease prevention. Through the researches conducted by the NIH component institutes and study groups in partnership with other institutions, we pledge to intensify efforts at providing policy and program recommendations that can lead to better health and wellness for Filipinos.

Plenary and Parallel Sessions

The paper presentations dealt on the theme of health promotion and disease prevention across the lifespan. 

After the opening rites, the NIH Initiatives Updates featured paper presentations on the use and management of dental amalgam, Health Human Resource for an Aging Philippines, Maternal Nutrition for Low Maternal and Infant Mortality and Controlling Sugars for Better Health Among Schoolchildren.

Student researches also comprised a major part of the presentations both for undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Two parallel sessions tackled research in aid of policy and health and research and development in Metro Manila.   The former featured papers on risk taking, health seeking and social behavior for better policies; effective networking for child protection; malnutrition and below average IQ of young Filipino children; effective and safe opiates for pain management; commodities supply management as the weakest link the in the fight against TB; and policy environment for stem cell research in the Philippines.

Parallel Session B featured topics on future treatment to lessen exacerbation of asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the safety of Metro Manila streets, air quality in Metro Manila, and the promise of stem cell research.

Day 2 on Feb. 27 saw the discussion of policy initiatives on asbestos use, drug accessibility for senior citizens, Advanced Practice Nursing in the Philippines, school-based oral health for Filipino children, school-based hearing for Filipino children, health for people with disabilities through Community-based Rehabilitation, schistosomiasis control as poverty elimination strategy, and defeating deafness  through newborn hearing screening.

The celebration highlighted the responsibility of health providers not only to cure diseases but more importantly to promote health and ensure people’s wellness and well-being throughout life.