February 28, 2023 — The University of the Philippines Manila National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health (DOH) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)—one, for the creation of the Institute of Health Promotion (IHP) and two, for the expansion of the National Practice Guidelines Program—during the NIH’s 25th anniversary conference on February 27, 2023.

The IHP aims to strengthen health promotion through the conduct of health promotion research and contributing to evidence-informed policy advocacy.

DOH OIC Secretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire stressed that the DOH, together with the NIH, is committed to taking on the development of a productive, resilient, equitable, and people-centered health care system. She added that the IHP shall conduct research including participatory action research and other evidence-generation activities that will improve health literacy among the community.

“The creation of the Institute of Health Promotion is a signal that we have to go beyond the usual ways of promoting health among our people,” emphasized UP Manila Chancellor Carmencita Padilla.

She added that having an office specifically for health promotion will target different sectors of society and having a dedicated budget will make it even more successful because more people can be hired to perform more work.

The expanded National Practice Guidelines Program, on the other hand, aims to strengthen the partnership between NIH and DOH for evidence review, clinical practice guidelines (CPG) development, health research, and capacity building.

Right now, while waiting for the UP Board of Regents’ approval of the IHP, NIH will set up a Program on Health Promotion with Dr. Catherine B. Reyes as program chair. She states that the signing of the two MOU is a testament to the long history of the DOH and NIH in embarking on adaptive collaborations and partnerships that promote health research capacity building and policy advocacy.

I Charmaine Lingdas