The role of local health officers in advancing public health and primary care integration
Lessons from the ongoing Universal Health Coverage reforms in the Philippines
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21878478 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vergil de Claro (0000-0002-5351-4764, RTI International, Pasig City, Philippines, corresponding author), Juan Bernardo Lava (RTI International, Pasig City, Philippines), Clemencia Bondoc (Zarraga Municipal Health Office, Association of Municipal Health Officers, Zarraga, Iloilo, Philippines), Laurentiu Stan (RTI International, Pasig City, Philippines) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | e014118 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMJ Global Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908 |
| Publisher | BMJ (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014118 |
| PMID | 38262684 |
| OpenAlex | W4391146153 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 23 |
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the persistent fragmentation of health systems and has amplified the necessity for integration. This issue is particularly pronounced in decentralise settings, where fragmentation is evident with poor coordination that impedes timely information sharing, efficient resource allocation and effective response to health threats. It is within this context that the Philippine Universal Health Care law introduced reforms focusing on equitable access and resilient health systems through intermunicipal cooperation, enhancing primary care networks and harnessing digital health technologies—efforts that underline the demand for a comprehensively integrated healthcare system. The WHO and the global community have long called for integration as a strategy to optimise healthcare delivery. The authors contend that at the core of health system integration lies the need to synchronise public health and primary care interventions to enhance individual and population health. Drawing lessons from the implementation of a pilot project in the Philippines which demonstrates an integrated approach to delivering COVID-19 vaccination, family planning and primary care services, this paper examines the crucial role of local health officers in the process, offering insights and practical lessons for engaging these key actors to advance health system integration. These lessons may hold relevance for other low-ncome and middle-income economies pursuing similar reforms, providing a path forward towards achieving universal health coverage
Business · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Global health · Health care · HRHIS · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Global Maternal and Child Health · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Nursing · Health Policy
Fragmented health systems in Covid-19
The Politics of Health Devolution in the Philippines
Centralization and integration of public health systems
Values of Integrated Care
Integrated care
Organizational Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care
Health systems integration
Meeting the challenge of health system transformation in European countries
General practitioners with a special interest in public health; at last a way to deliver public health in primary care
The Human Face of Decentralisation and Integration of Health Services
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |