To blot another year of success, the country’s health research community commemorated its 11th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week on 24-25 August 2017 at Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City, Metro Manila. It is a gathering of different stakeholders in health research and development to contribute research-based solutions to health problems.
With the theme “Research and Innovations in Health: Empowering and Transforming Communities,” this year’s celebration emphasizes the roles, challenges, and opportunities of health research and innovation in reaching, empowering, and transforming the Filipino communities.

Pre-conference sessions such as Ethics, Society of Health Research Communicators (SHARE) Assembly, Research Workshop, eHealth Summit, National consultation on the development of Technical Review Board Manual, meeting of various PNHRS Committees, Meeting of the Regional Health Research and Development Consortia Secretariat, and Health Research and Development for Disaster Program Review were also made on 22-23 August 2017 at Hotel Jen Manila.

Plenary and parallel sessions was also made that revolved around key areas including National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA), Drug Addiction and Mental Health, Islands of Wealth and Wellness, Health of Marawi: the Psychosocial and Health Concerns of Internally Displaced Persons in areas with armed conflicts, presentation of contributed papers such as 6A: Alternative Gender-Aware Indices for Measuring Poverty: Implications for Healthcare for the Poor and Innovative Strategy Towards Sustainable Control and Elimination of Schistosomiasis in the Philippines.

This 4 day event was joined by over 1,300 participants from all over the country reaching its aim of providing a platform for the different stakeholders in health research and development to interact, learn from each other, share information and experiences, voice their concerns, and to add research-based solution to health problems.