PCHRD News

: Latest News; 18 September 2018; Hits: 3907

“Learning does not end after graduation. It is a continuous journey that only those with receptive minds and humble hearts can embark on.” A practical advice from Dr. Arturo Dela Pena, Chief Executive Officer and President of St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) to the graduates of the 20th Commencement Exercises of St. Luke’s College of Medicine on 15 July 2018.

Four scholars namely Alexis Labrador, John Paul Llido, Neil Jade Palude, and Jerica Isabel Reyes earned their Master’s degree in Molecular Medicine under the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resources Development Program (ASTHRDP). ASTHRDP is a scholarship program offered by DOST-Science Education Institute, in partnership with the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD).

Proving their excellence and commitment to science, the four scholars maintained good academic standing throughout their stay in the program. The scholars are very well versed in the studies of the latest biotechnologies such as cell-based therapies, gene-therapies, targeted therapies, biomarker technologies, molecular diagnostic, pharmacogenomics, and personalized medicine.

MS Molecular Medicine Program is a joint initiative of the DOST, through PCHRD, and SLCM which aims to produce adept laboratory researchers capable of pioneering innovative health researches as basis for future health policies. Indeed, through the program, the scholars were able to upgrade their skills for the application of molecular medicine in the clinical setting. More specifically, the students are able to obtain firm foundation in the bio medical sciences and relevant emerging technologies and receive training in a broad spectrum of the application of molecular medicine.

Every year, PCHRD search for potential scholars with great mind and vision in the hopes that their talent reinforced by education and training will benefit the health research and development agenda of the country particularly in molecular medicine. Now more than ever, we need more researchers and explorers that will find solutions to the health needs of the Filipinos through research and innovation.

For more information on DOST-PCHRD funded scholarships, visit www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph.

Details
Written by Catherine Joy C. Dimailig
Created: 18 September 2018

: Latest News; 05 September 2018; Hits: 2413

Misdiagnosis of parasitic infections remains a challenge in the Philippines, particularly in remote areas where medical technologists (MTs) may lack capacity on diagnostic parasitology. This is further complicated by the lack of a formal referral system where MTs can verify their diagnosis. Misdiagnosis results to non-treatment of patients, thereby contributing to continuing morbidity and infection transmission. Accurate and timely diagnosis of parasitic infections is essential to provide appropriate treatment, as well as to generate accurate data to support advocacy and policy formulation for the control and prevention of parasitic infections.

To address this challenge, a team from the College of Public Health and the National Telehealth Center in the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila, led by Dr. Vicente Belizario, Jr., developed and tested the Medical Teleparasitology (MTP) system through the grant provided by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

MTP uses information and communications technology (ICT) to provide a referral mechanism that links MTs in peripheral laboratories to a pool of expert diagnostic parasitologists. Through the MTP, the MTs registered in the system can send the digital image of the parasite and their initial diagnosis which are then verified by expert diagnostic parasitologists within 24 hours. Digital images of the parasites are stored in the image bank which can be accessed by MTs for future reference. MTs in the peripheral laboratories also send monthly reports of parasitic infections they have diagnosed.

Monthly reports are fed into a database which can generate the distribution of parasitic infections reported and of the laboratory and personnel capacity. These, in turn, may help inform strategies for prevention and control of parasitic infections. Enrolled users also have access to the Parasitology Forum, an online forum where users can discuss topics relevant to parasitology. Through these, MTP is able to support MTs in their critical role of providing accurate and timely diagnosis of parasitic infections.

The MTP system is currently implemented in Cordillera, Zamboanga, and Davao Regions. These were made possible through the support of the Department of Health-Regional Offices and other partners, such as the Saint Louis University-School of Medicine.

If you wish to know more about the MTP system, please visit the MTP site at https://mtp.telehealth.ph/site/ or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Details
Written by Catherine Joy C. Dimailig
Created: 05 September 2018

: Administrator; Latest News; 04 September 2018; Hits: 2359

With the goal of increasing awareness of the Research Utilization Committee (RUC) members from the region on barriers and opportunities in translating research into policy and strategies to affect change on current policy environment of the regional consortia members, three health research champions were invited to share their experiences on influencing health policy through research. Attended by 75 RUC members, policy influencers and communication practitioners, the preconference session was held as part of the 12th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week in Baguio City on 7 August 2018.

In the morning session, three notable speakers and Alberto G. Romualdez, Jr. Health Research Award (AROHRA) winners namely, Dr. Ronald Matias (St.Luke’s Medical Center), Dr. Carmencita Padilla (UP Manila) and Dr. Mario V. Capanzana (DOST-FNRI) shared their journey of translating their research into policy.

Dr. Ronald Matias, Senior Scientist, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City, discussed the St. Luke’s Dengue Research Program on dengue surveillance, assessment and emerging technologies. As there are already existing policies by the WHO and DOH, implementation of dengue prevention and control should be accompanied by timely and innovative researches which are integrated into policy. With the goal of reducing the incidence of the disease, Dr. Matias emphasizes that research and development efforts must be converted into public health solutions.

Dr. Carmencita Padilla, Chancellor, University of the Philippines, Manila (UPM) highlighted the history of the National Newborn Screening Program from being a UPM and DOST-funded research project in 1996 to being the Newborn Screening Law (R.A. 9288) in 2004 as it went through the arduous process of policy-making. Dr. Padilla shared some strategies that can influence public policy which included: a) working with a collaborative, multi-disciplinary and persistent study group, b) having a range of effective communication strategies that must reach the public, the professionals and the policymakers, c) generating data and developing it into peer-reviewed publications to be used as basis for policy, d) engaging stakeholders and building public-private partnerships to create a multi-environment for easier adaptation, and e) identifying champions for policy development who will sponsor or lobby the advocacy.

Dr. Mario V. Capanzana, Director, Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) talked about undernutrition and its consequences not only at the individual but also at the national level. According to Dr. Capanzana, malnutrition, in its many forms, causes the country to lose around 1.5% of its GDP and also increase health costs. Research conducted by the FNRI has prompted the creation of the policy on Food Fortification as a way to mitigate micronutrient deficiency, a facet of malnutrition. Refinement of food fortification technology and studies on the efficacy of Iron-fortified Rice had been instrumental in technology transfer and commercialization of Iron-Fortified Rice as a Scaling-up strategy to also achieve food security.

In the afternoon session, a workshop was held for the participating members of the Regional Consortia for Health Research and Development. Each region was tasked to present a Research to Policy Plan involving one current or prospective research project using a template derived from the discussions in the morning session

Details
Written by Catherine Joy C. Dimailig
Created: 03 September 2018

: Ana Ciaren H. Itulid; Latest News; 31 August 2018; Hits: 5189

For communication collaterals to be effective, there are important principles one has to follow. Ms. Monika Ortega of Inventive Media, a top web developer and digital marketing strategist, shared five important lessons during the 12th Philippine National Health Research System Week Preconference session on 6 August 2018 in Baguio City.

1. Know who you are. In any communication strategy, you have to determine your institution’s brand DNA. The kind of tone, purpose, and language in your marketing collaterals should be consistent with the brand of your institution. Embed the brand such as logo or color of your institution in your collaterals. There should be consistency in your materials across all dissemination platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and website.

2. Know what you want. Before designing the material answer first the question, “What do you want your audience do after reading the information?” Remember, a human’s attention span is too short, only eight seconds. In a digital environment wherein the audience is bombarded with too much information given this limited time, your design must stand out to capture their attention. Message should be focused and clear to make the first impression lead to your desired action.

3. Understand your users. The more you know about the needs and concerns of your audience, the more you are guided with the kind of message you will convey in your materials. Always put yourself in the shoes of your audience. You can engage more people into your campaign when they can relate to you.

4. Understand your platform. Different platform requires different content. Social media platform requires different specifications for video, visual materials, among others. They also have different analytics to measure reach, engagement, or audience involvement. Accessibility of these social media platform on different device should always be kept in mind. Moreover, not all content should be shared in all your social media platform as each has its own kind of audience.

5. Design is everyone’s job. Not everyone is a designer but everyone should embrace design thinking. This means, as the user of the collaterals we can improve the quality of materials we will produce. We can always pre-test the collaterals and make refinements.

Details
Written by Ciaren H. Itulid
Created: 31 August 2018

: Latest News; 24 August 2018; Hits: 9096

Pursuant to the Republic Act 10028, otherwise known as the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, we celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Month during August every year to raise awareness and further promote breastfeeding in the country.

Breastfeeding is one of the safest and cost-effective ways to protect babies, young children, and their mothers against morbidity and mortality. As we celebrate the National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, here are some facts you should know about breastfeeding:

Infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months.

For the first six months of life, newborns must only receive breastmilk without any additional food and water. Giving water at this early age endangers babies to diarrhea and malnutrition. Children should be breastfed up to two years and beyond.

Breastfeeding improves infant and maternal health.

Breastmilk contains nutrients and antibodies which help improve infant’s sensory and cognitive development, and lowers the risk of chronic conditions such as obesity, cholesterol, allergies, diabetes, asthma, cancer, high blood pressure, and pneumonia.

Breastfeeding not only creates a special bond between mother and child but also helps mothers to reduce the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

HIV transmission through breastfeeding can be reduced with drug treatment.

HIV positive women can pass on the virus during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Infected women produce lower levels of protective antibody that fights diarrhea and other respiratory infections. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised infected women or their infant to undergo antiretroviral treatment throughout the breastfeeding period until the infant reach 12 months old to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV.

Complementary foods are advisable in addition to breastmilk.

Complementary feeding is the transition from exclusive breastfeeding to family foods. Appropriate complementary foods should be added to the child’s diet if the breastmilk is no longer enough to meet the child’s nutritional requirements which covers the period from six months and above. Foods must be prepared safely with right amount and texture according to child’s age.

According to the World Health Organization, in addition to breastmilk, “Infants should start receiving complementary foods at 6 months, initially 2-3 times a day between 6-8 months, increasing to 3-4 times daily between 9-11 months and 12-24 months with additional nutritious snacks offered 1-2 times per day, as desired.”

Infant formula is not recommended as replacement for breast milk.

The Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order No. 51 in the country, otherwise known as ‘Milk Code’ does not recommend infant or formula milk as replacement food for infants. Formula milk is harder to digest than breastmilk. It can be easily contaminated due to unpurified water, unsterilized containers and utensils, or even due to existing bacteria in the formula. Although breastmilk has been replicated, the nutrients it contains are not enough for child’s health needs.

Breastfeeding, working moms are supported by law.

The Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act requires all health and non-health facilities and establishments to allocate space for lactation stations. The Act gives breastfeeding mothers additional break in addition to the regular time-off for meals to express their breast milk.

The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) supports the programs and advocacies on proper breastfeeding.

In fact, the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA), the consolidation of health research priorities of the country, identifies the importance of breast feeding research under the Research to enhance and extend healthy lives research priority area.

The Council supported a research program entitled, “Influences of Maternal Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status on the Microbiological and Chemical Compositions of Breast Milk from Selected Lactating Filipino Women at 0 to 4 Months Post-Partum” which aimed to establish the factors affecting the composition, physicochemical characteristics, and the microbiology of breast milk obtained from Filipino lactating women.

With the existing policies and laws, the Council looks forward to supporting more researches and programs that will benefit mothers and babies.

For more information about NUHRA and the priority areas, download the NUHRA now!

Details
Written by Lemuel Basierto
Created: 24 August 2018

: Administrator; Latest News; 23 August 2018; Hits: 4922

“The single most important health problem in the world is not a disease but the problem of inequity within nations and among nations,” this was the striking message of National Scientist Dr. Ernesto Domingo during his keynote speech at Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week in Baguio City on 6-9 August 2018.

As a Ramon Magsaysay Foundation awardee, Dr. Domingo shared his experiences and the bigger role of being a scientist researcher in achieving universal healthcare and health equity. He said, “the conduct of research is certainly metamorphosing from the simple pleasure of knowing to the more heroic imperative of ameliorating.”

For Dr. Domingo, dedicated and passionate scientist-researchers are key to achieving universal health care. Based from his first hand experiences, he shared three qualities of a good researcher.

First, a good researcher has genuine interest to find answers. According to Dr. Domingo, although curiosity is a primordial engine of research, the researchers’ desire and conduct of work is also a factor in the generating beneficial research. He emphasized that a researcher intention should go beyond the material merits and pleasure instead should root from the pure desire and limitless energy to produce research results for the betterment of mankind.

Second, behind a good researcher is a good mentor. Dr. Domingo revealed that his mentor is Dr. Kenneth Warren, an American scientist, physician, educator, and public health advocate. Dr. Domingo narrated how he grew as a scientist under Dr. Warren’s mentorship. As per Dr. Domingo, being a mentor doesn’t mean occasionally giving advice but endowing trust and confidence to the mentee. Dr. Domingo said, “A good nurturing environment or mentor is key in supporting, advocating, and facilitating the journey or career of a researcher.”

Finally, researcher’s readiness to do hard work is the final key into becoming a successful researcher. Dr. Domingo stressed that productivity is not a product of brilliance but the ability of a researcher to absorb tremendous work. Dr. Domingo explained that doing research is a lifetime commitment because it does not stop in getting master and doctoral degrees. Instead, conducting research requires a lot of patience and determination to produce significant results that could lead to technological breakthroughs and other discoveries.

In closing, Dr. Domingo reiterated the important role of researchers in addressing issues in equity in health. Dr. Domingo’s experience serves as a testament that the quality of research you do depends on your character as a researcher. “The hardship you will encounter is nothing compared to the impact you will make into truly achieving equity in health. We must work together with genuine interest and passion to produce research for everyone.”

Details
Written by Catherine Joy C. Dimailig
Created: 23 August 2018

: Latest News; 22 August 2018; Hits: 2352

15th National Medical Writing Workshop and 8th Writeshop for Young Researchers
Zamboanga City, Philippines
29-30 January 2019

Organized by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and the
Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE), co-organized by Zamboanga Consortium for Health Research and Development (ZCHRD)
Endorsed by the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME)

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

Application deadline: October 15, 2018
REGISTRATION IS FREE (limited slots only)

The Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) and Zamboanga Consortium for Health Research and Development (ZCHRD), in cooperation with Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE) and Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME) is organizing the 15th National Medical Writing Workshop and 8th Writeshop for Young Researchers on 27-31 January 2019 in Zamboanga City. The workshop aims to help young investigators in health and health social sciences acquire practical knowledge and skills in preparing a scientific article for publication in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. Successful applicants will be granted free workshop registration, accommodation for participants and meals during the workshop, and assigned to a mentor-facilitator who will guide them in preparing their articles for a brief presentation.

Requirements for participants

The workshop is designed for a maximum of forty (40) researchers in health sciences and health social sciences, aged 35 years old and below, who have a research project completed not more than 2 years ago and have drafted a manuscript for submission to a scholarly journal. The selected draft manuscripts will be reviewed and revised during the workshop, based on the lectures and exercises, under the guidance of the faculty and mentor – facilitators. All participants are expected to present a 7-minute power point summary of their revised manuscripts on the second day of the workshop, and agree to submit the article to an appropriate scholarly peer-reviewed journal within three (3) months after the workshop.

Instructions

Applicants should e-mail the following requirements to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. on or before 15 October, 2018

1. Fill out application form here
2. Conforme slip
3. Abstracts
4. Draft Journal Manuscripts
5. Instructions to authors (This is a free document downloadable from the website of your prospective journal.)

Please use this subject format in your email: Application_15th Wrtieshop_(Surname)
Please save your documents in this format: Application form_(Surname), Conforme Slip_(Surname), Abstract_(Surname), Manuscript_(Surname), ITA_(Surname)

The results of the selection of participants for the Workshop will be communicated on November 10, 2018.

If there are any questions about the Workshop, please contact Ms. Catherine Joy C. Dimailig (email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tel no: (02) 837-7534.)

Page 11 of 30