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December 20, 2018

AIHO holds Philippine UHC Day 2018

AIHO, with support from UHC2030.org, and in partnership with University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FCM) and the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP), organized the country’s International UHC Day activities, which commemorates the UN General Assembly’s December 12, 2012 unanimous resolution calling all countries to accelerate progress towards UHC. This year’s theme is “Unite for Universal Health Coverage: Now is the time for collective action”. This year’s commemoration also marks the first time the UHC Day is observed as an UN-official International UHC Day.

A UHC plenary session was conducted in UST’s CME auditorium before the UST medical community . Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Roger Tong-an read the keynote message from Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, a UST alumnus. Dr. Albert Francis Domingo provided lecture on the basics of universal health coverage, while Mr. Ian Nuevo, an AIHO partner and representing Department of Health – Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau, provided presentation on the proposed UHC Law.

AIHO, UST-FCM, and PSPHP also organized the UHC Advocates’ Night on the same day at Pan Pacific Hotel Manila. Senator Risa Hontiveros provided the keynote message. Dr. Kira Fortune, Equity and Social Determinants coordinator at the WHO-Western Pacific Regional Office, provided presentation on the global movement towards UHC. Dr. Lester Sam Geroy, PSPHP president, and Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, current executive vice president of University of the Philippines System and a former DOH undersecretary, provided insights on how everyone can contribute locally in achieving UHC.

The event was hosted by Dr. Tonyboy Faraon, Vice-President for Operations of Zuellig Family Foundation. Attendees include Dr. Policarpio Joves of Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Sheila Bonito, Dean of University of the Philippines College of Nursing, former Ang Nars partylist congresswoman Leah S. Paquiz, and representatives from HealthJustice Philippines, Physicians for Peace, 101 Health Research, and other individual UHC advocates.

UHC2030.org supported the global activities on UHC Day, including  AIHO’s organized forums. AIHO’s activities are featured in UniversalHealthCoverage.org website.

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