HEALTH SECTOR

REFORM: UNIVERSAL
HEALTH CARE
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE (UHC)
(KALUSUGAN PANGKALAHATAN)

• Also called the Aquino Health Agenda, is the latest in a series of

continuing efforts of the government to bring about health sector reforms.
• It was built upon the strategies of 2 previous platforms of reform:
 The Initial Health Sector Reform Agenda (1999-2004)
 FOURmula One (F1) for Health (2005-2010)

• Is planned for implementation until 2016

RATIONALE

• Health sector reforms are intended to bring about equity in health service
delivery.
• A DOH and PhilHealth review highlighted the need to improve health-
related financial risk protection among Filipinos.
• More importantly, PhilHealth benefit delivery was found to be lowest
among the target population – the poorest quintile.
• Neglect of public hospitals and health facilities due to inadequate health
budgets has been observed.
• As of October 2010, a total of 892 RHUs and 99 government hospitals
had yet to qualify for accreditation by PhilHealth.
• Data show that the poorest of the population are the main users of
government health facilities.
• Finally, renewed efforts to achieve health-related MDGs are in order.
• The MDG 4 target is to reduce maternal mortality rate from 209 maternal deaths / 100,000 live
births in 1990 to 52 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015.
• The preliminary 2009 FHSIS report shows that the country had a maternal mortality rate of 64
per 100,000 live births in that year.
• From a high under-five child mortality rate of 80 per 1,000 live births in 1990, the 2008 data
shows a decrease to 34 per 1,000 live births. There is a high probability of meeting MDG goal
5.
• To address these challenges, UHC (Kalusugan Pangkalahatan) was launched through
Administrative Order 2010-0036.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• UHC is directed towards ensuring the achievement of the health

system goals of
1. Better health outcomes
2. Sustained health financing, and
3. A responsive health system by ensuring that all Filipinos, especially the
disadvantaged group, have equitable access to affordable health care.
STRATEGIC THRUSTS

• The attainment of the goal of UHC is through the pursuit of 3

strategic thrusts;
1. Financial risk protection through expansion in NHIP enrollment &
benefit delivery
2. Improved access to quality hospitals and health care facilities
3. Attainment of the health-related MDGs
• To achieve the 3 strategic thrusts, 6 strategic instruments shall be optimized:
1. Health financing – instrument to increase resources for health that will be effectively allocated and utilized to
improve the financial protection of the poor and the vulnerable sectors.
2. Service delivery – instrument to transform the health service delivery structure to address variations in health
service utilization and health outcomes across socioeconomic variables.
3. Policy, standards, and regulation – instrument to ensure equitable access to health services, essential medicines,
and technologies of assured quality, availability, and safety.
4. Governance for health – instrument to establish the mechanisms for efficiency, transaparency, and accountability,
and prevent opportunities for fraud.
5. Human resources for health – instrument to ensure that all Filipinos have access to professional health care
providers capable of meeting their health needs at the appropriate level of care.
6. Health information – instrument to establish a modern information system that shall:
 Provide evidence for policy and program development
 Support for immediate and efficient provision of health care and management of province-wide health systems
 PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS

• Major public health programs that will be tackled in subsequent chapters of this book include the
following:
1. Reproductive and maternal health prepreganancy services and care during pregnancy, delivery, and
postpartum period.
2. Expande Garantisadong Pambata (child health): advocacy for exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months
of life, newborn screening program, immunization, nutrition services, and integrated, management of
childhood illness.
3. Control of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, mosquito-borne diseases, rabies,
schistosomiasis, and sexually transmitted infections.
4. Control of noncommunicable or lifestyle diseases
5. Environmental health
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE AND ICT

• In the Philippines, making health care accessible to all remains a great challenge.
• Lack of financial health care coverage leads to high out-of-pocket expenses.
• A series of health reforms have been implemented. The DOH, through Administrative
Order No. 2010-0036, outlined the policy directions of UHC. Also known as
Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP), this reform agenda has 3 priority health directions:
1. Financial risk protection through expansion in National Health Insurance Program
enrolment and benefit delivery
2. Improved access to quality hospitals and health care facilities
3. Attainment of the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• One of the aims of KP is to attain efficiency by using IT in all aspects of
health care.
• One of the key instruments it underlies is the use of Health Information to
establish a modern information system that shall provide evidence for
policy and program development and support for immediate and efficient
provision of health care and management of province-wide health systems.
• The DOH also recognizes the valuable purpose of ICT for health and has
drafted its National eHealth Strategic Framework for 2010-2016, with the
vision of ICT supporting UHC to improve health care access, quality,
efficiency, and patient’s safety and satisfaction, for reducing cost and
enabling policy makers, providers, individuals, and communities to make
the best possible health decisions.