As part of the methodology for developing the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA), the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), through its partner organizations,conducted a two day regional consultation in region 1 entitled "Organizing Consultative Workshop Towards the Development of the Philippine National Health Research System's Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA) 2017-2022.The consultation was held on May 23-24, 2017 at the Northview Hotel, Brgy. Nalbo Laoag City,Ilocos Norte facilitated by the Healthdev Institute.
This consultation was part of the larger effort in developing the NUHRA 2017-2022, which specifies the areas for health research that need to be studied.The regional consultation served as the venue for all relevant stakeholders to create the Regional Unified Research Agenda (RUHRA) priorities.
Participants who attended the said consultation were member and non-member institutions of the Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium (R1HRDC) to wit: National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP), Pangasinan Medical Society (PMS), Panpacific University North Philippines (PUNP), Northern Christian College (NCC),Northwestern University (NWU),Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU),Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC), Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation Inc.(VMUF), Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC),Commission on Higher Education (CHED),Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH),Philippine Information Agency (PIA),Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU),National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), University of Northern Philippines (UNP) and Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC).
Speakers during the regional consultation were Dr. Miguel Antonio Salazar and Mr. Teddy S. Dizon bothe from the Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO) Inc. and Mr. Paul Ernest De Leon from PCHRD-Research and Development Management Division. On the 1st day, topics discussed were: Introduction to the PNHRS and the NUHRA,Orientation to the NUHRA and RUHRA agenda setting priorities,Inputs:Technical Papers and Regional Situationer,Brainstorming session and plenary.On the 2nd day,topics were: Setting Criteria for Prioritization,Prioritization Exercise,RUHRA 2017-2022:Results of Prioritization,Planning for RUHRA dissemination,funding monitoring and Evaluation of the Regional Consultation.
After thorough review and deliberation of the group,there were eight (8) priority areas created for region 1 under the RUHRA and these were the following: (1) Triple Burden Disease (2) Health of the Vulnerable Populations (3)Drug Discovery and Development (4) Health Technology and Development (5)Food Safety and Nutrition (6) Health Governance and Policies (7) Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals and (8) Health Financing.
The consultation became a good venue for interaction and improved the relations between and among the participants.