Imagine this: you’re living in a rural community, and the nearest health center is still a boat ride away. When you get to the health center, however, there are no medicines available. This is sadly a common conundrum in the Philippines. So how do we make health accessible, available, and acceptable for everyone? Dr. Fonsy Regala, Chief of the Program Implementation and Outreach Division of the Department of Health- Health Promotion Bureau, shares his experiences working both for communities at the grassroots level and working with communities at a national scale to make people-centered solutions.

If you would like to learn more about the community health promotion efforts of the Department of Health, check out their playbooks through this link: http://bit.ly/HPB_2021Playbooks

Get a preview of this episode's JQW Book Club book recommendations through the links below:

1. Mobilizing the Community for Better Health: What the Rest of America Can Learn from Northern Manhattan by Allan Formicola and Lourdes Hernandez-Cordero https://amzn.to/3QfDbFR
2. Engaging Your Community: A Toolkit for Partnership, Collaboration, and Action by John Snow, Inc. (JSI) https://bit.ly/3D0X7t7

You can visit the EpiMetrics, Inc. website at www.epimetrics.com.ph. You can also follow us on Facebook at Epimetrics Inc., and on Instagram through @epimetricsph. Contact us through our email: publichealthonduty@gmail.com.

This podcast was produced by Abigail Tan of EpiMetrics Inc and Antonette Mendoza of Big Baby Studios. It was edited and hosted by Angeli Magdaraog and Martha dela Paz of EpiMetrics Inc. It contains original theme music by Big Baby Studios’ Peavey Nicolas, who also engineered the episode. A special thanks to our executive producer, Dr. John Q. Wong.

Keeping in mind the fundamental principle in economics that resources are finite, how do governments decide which health services to invest in? Join us with Dana S. Bayani, health economist and PhD student in the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health of the National University of Singapore as we discuss the importance of health technology assessment in ensuring that health interventions and commodities are always worth their prices.

Get a preview of this episode's JQW Book Club book recommendations through the links below:

1. Evaluating Health Interventions: An Introduction to Evaluation of Health Treatments, Services, Policies, and Organizational Interventions by John Øvretveit https://amzn.to/3BaQmn1
2. Evaluating the Healthcare System: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity by Lu Aday https://amzn.to/3wVLM9Q

Did this episode spark your interest in HTA? You may find the work of the HTA Division of the DOH at https://hta.doh.gov.ph/.

You can visit the EpiMetrics, Inc. website at www.epimetrics.com.ph. You can also follow us on Facebook at Epimetrics Inc., and on Instagram through @epimetricsph. Contact us through our email: publichealthonduty@gmail.com.

This podcast was produced by Abigail Tan of EpiMetrics Inc and Antonette Mendoza of Big Baby Studios. It was edited and hosted by Angeli Magdaraog and Martha dela Paz (@_callmemartha) of EpiMetrics Inc. It contains original theme music by Big Baby Studios’ Peavey Nicolas, who also engineered the episode. A special thanks to our executive producer, Dr. John Q. Wong.

Modern problems require modern solutions, but in the realm of public health, how do we decide what makes the cut? Health regulation helps set the standard for the safety and quality of health care, and with the help of our guest, Lindsay Orsolino, and her experience in the Department of Health while handing the Health Regulations Team and the Food and Drug Administration, we can better understand how our COVID-19 laboratories came about and how that vaccine made it to your arm.

Bonus: Find discussions on mental health advocacy and the current work being done at the Department!

Get a preview of this episode's JQW Book Club book recommendation through the link below:

• Global Health Law by Lawrence O. Gostin https://amzn.to/3efbD61

You can visit the EpiMetrics, Inc. website at www.epimetrics.com.ph. You can also follow us on Facebook at Epimetrics Inc., and on Instagram through @epimetricsph. Contact us through our email: publichealthonduty@gmail.com.

This podcast was produced by Abigail Tan of EpiMetrics Inc and Antonette Mendoza of Big Baby Studios. It was edited and hosted by Angeli Magdaraog and Martha dela Paz of EpiMetrics Inc. It contains original theme music by Big Baby Studios’ Peavey Nicolas, who also engineered the episode. A special thanks to our executive producer, Dr. John Q. Wong.