Evidence for Health

24/08/2026

📢 Upcoming Webinar

Why do pharmaceutical policies that align with international guidance, so often fall short in practice?

Health Systems Global's Pharmaceutical Policies in Health Systems (PharmPol) Working Group will be hosting a session: "From policy ambition to system reality: improving access to NCD Medicines in LMICs."

Researchers, policymakers and practitioners are invited to explore how health systems shape access to essential medicines for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries. Drawing on evidence from Ghana, Georgia, and Northern Syria, the webinar will examine implementation challenges and identify opportunities to strengthen access to medicines across diverse contexts. The webinar will include country case studies, panel discussion, and audience Q&A.

📅 25 September 2026 at 8pm (Philippine Time)

Find out more and register here: https://healthsystemsglobal.org/event/from-policy-ambition-to-system-reality-improving-access-to-ncd-medicines-in-lmics/

22/08/2026

At E4H, we believe that meaningful health reform happens when institutions, health professionals, communities, and partners rise together—building on what works, addressing what needs to change, and keeping people at the center of every reform.

We stand with the vision of the Unified National Agenda for Health (UNA), PhilHealth, and the Department of Health (DOH) across five critical pillars. For E4H, this means means bringing evidence, innovation, and partnerships to the work of health systems transformation, and a shared commitment to a healthier Philippines.

𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 & 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
August 20, 2026
PhilHealth Head Office, Pasig City

𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗘𝗢, 𝗗𝗿. 𝗕𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖. 𝗛𝗼, underscored the Corporation’s commitment to building on the momentum of programs already in motion to ensure every member receives quality care.

The 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 (𝗨𝗡𝗔), 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, and the 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 (𝗗𝗢𝗛), are working together across five pillars: (1) Healthy Schools, Workplaces, And Communities, (2) A Functional Primary Care System, (3) Quality, Efficient Hospitals, (4) Information Technology Transformation, and (5) Strong Institutions and Sector.

The agenda aims to expand access and coverage, improve care quality, and help strengthen health outcomes for every Filipino.

18/08/2026

HealthSystemsRX
"𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥"

The Special Health Fund (SHF) was envisioned as more than just a mechanism for consolidating different funding streams into a single pool. It was meant to help local health systems plan together, prioritize together, and take collective responsibility for health outcomes.

But what happens when funds are pooled while decision-making remains fragmented?

In our latest post, we explore why the SHF should be understood not simply as a financing mechanism, but as a governance reform, one that can reshape decision rights, incentives, accountability, and the way local health systems steward resources.

The key question may no longer be “Have we established an SHF?” but rather:
"Is the SHF changing how we make decisions for the health of our population?"

Read and subscribe: https://substack.com/home/post/p-190206779

06/05/2026

HealthSystemsRX
"𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥"

Decentralization was meant to empower local health systems. But after three decades of devolution in the Philippines, many local governments find themselves responsible for delivering health outcomes without the resources or systems needed to fully shape them.

As the country moves forward with Universal Health Care, the real challenge goes beyond the question of centralized versus decentralized governance. It is about how to align national stewardship with local leadership so that responsibility, capability, and accountability move together.

Read here: https://jakerdeclaro.substack.com/p/decentralization-and-the-limits-of

04/05/2026

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭!

This new multi-country analysis on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (spanning 186 countries and over 100,000 respondents) offers a sobering reminder: hesitancy is not random, it is structured, multifactorial, and deeply embedded in how people process information and trust systems.

A few insights that stood out:
✅ Misinformation is not peripheral—it is causal. A substantial share of respondents rely on social media for vaccine information, shaping beliefs and behaviors in measurable ways.
✅ Hesitancy is both informational and psychological. Individual traits, perceptions of risk, and lived experiences all play a role—not just access to knowledge.
✅ Education alone is not enough. Concerns about safety, side effects, and long-term impacts persist even among more educated groups.
✅ Context matters. Factors such as gender, stress, and family experiences with COVID-19 significantly influence attitudes toward vaccination.

The implication is clear:
📍 Traditional “information deficit” models of public health communication are insufficient.
📍 If hesitancy is shaped by trust, perception, social norms, and digital ecosystems, then our responses must evolve accordingly:
- Integrating behavioral science into policy design
- Rethinking engagement with digital platforms
- Moving toward more targeted, context-specific communication strategies

For those working on health systems, UHC, or PHC strengthening, this reinforces a broader point: technical solutions alone will not deliver outcomes without aligning with how people actually think, decide, and act.

Grateful to Dr. Truong Van Le and the entire Nagasaki University Tropical Medicine and Global Health Online Research Global Team for this collaboration.

Read full paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X26000034?dgcid=coauthor

19/04/2026

𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐚, 𝐋𝐞𝐲𝐭𝐞!

BAYANHEALTH CLINIC is a community-based primary care provider committed to delivering accessible, affordable, and person-centered care. We serve as the first point of contact for individuals and families seeking quality health services, prioritizing prevention, continuity of care, and the overall well-being of the communities we serve.

We are looking for passionate and committed healthcare professionals (full-time/part-time):
✅ With active and valid PRC license
✅ Strong commitment to patient-centered and community-oriented care
✅ Excellent communication and teamwork skills
✅ Experience in primary care is an advantage (but not required)

Apply today and help build healthier communities! 🩺
Send your resume and cover letter to: [email protected].

Application deadline: May 30, 2026.

31/12/2025

"𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧"

As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting less on outputs and more on what this year revealed about systems—and our place within them.

This year reinforced a familiar but uncomfortable truth: progress in health systems is rarely linear. Policies that look sound on paper falter when they collide with entrenched incentives, institutional path dependencies, and political realities. Coverage does not automatically translate to access. Infrastructure does not guarantee care. And reform, when detached from governance and capability, often reproduces the very failures it seeks to fix.

At the same time, this year also offered quiet optimism. I saw local leaders make difficult, evidence-informed decisions despite constraints. I saw frontline workers adapt systems that were never designed with them in mind. I saw how sustained work—often invisible, incremental, and unglamorous—slowly bends systems toward equity.

Through research, policy work, and capacity building, I was reminded that evidence is not just about producing knowledge; it is about timing, translation, and trust. Evidence only matters when it meets institutions where they are—and helps them move, even slightly, toward where they need to be.

As we step into a new year, my hope is not for perfect reforms, but for braver conversations:
– about what is politically convenient versus what is systemically sound.
– about short-term wins versus long-term resilience.
– about designing health systems not just to function, but to endure.

I am grateful for collaborators, colleagues, and partners who continue to do this work seriously and with integrity. Here’s to another year of building, questioning, and staying uncomfortable in the service of better health systems.RX