The MIMAROPA Health Research and Development Consortium (MHRDC) held its first health research forum with the theme “Health and Development in MIMAROPA” last December 11, 2012. A total of 24 participants from the different government agencies and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in MIMAROPA joined the event.

Dr. Jeter Sespene, MHRDC Chair, and Dr. Ma Josefina P. Abilay, MHRDC Co-chair opened the event with heart-felt messages acknowledging the presence of representatives of member-agencies, most especially, the SUC presidents who attended despite their, indeed, busy schedules in their respective institutions.  The Consortium Executive Director Dr. Fe V. Ricon also relayed a message of gratitude to all participants and attendees of the forum.

Four researchers presented their papers on health. Researches were as follows: Implementation of the Maternal Neonatal Service Delivery Network of Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health and Nutrition Program in the province of Romblon: An Analysis by Dr. Venjune Tansiongco (Medical Officer III, Romblon State University), Assessment of Nursing Health Services at Ospital ng Palawan by Dr. Agnes Palao Chief Nurse, Ospital ng Palawan) , Mapping Tropical Diseases, Health Care Facilities and Indigenous Communities, Palawan, Philippines by Ms. Lizz Ardary (College Secretary, Palawan State University), and, Accessibility to Essential Medicines among Households of Selected Eco-tourism Barangays of Puerto Princesa City by Ms. Jane Vicente (College Secretary, Palawan State College).

Forum reactors were MHRDC Committee Chairs; Mr. Lester Anonuevo (Research and Development Committee Chair), Dr. Diosdado Zulueta (Capacity Building Committee Chair), Ms. Katherine Sanchez-Escalona (Research Utilization Committee Chair), and Ms. Cecilia Lopez (Assistant Regional Director, National Economic and Development Authority IV-B).

The consortium is planning to give awards in the coming 2^nd MHRDC Health Research Forum in 2013.

Taken from: http://region4b.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21:mhrdc-1st-research-forum

First published on: Friday, 31 May 2013 02:24

In a recent study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST- FNRI), the Filipino mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding their infants are declining in the Philippines. In addition, exclusive breastfeeding is practiced by only 8.6 percent of the survey respondents, while a high 55.4 percent feed their children with other milk or in combination with complementary feeding. This low level of breastfeeding practices for infants and young children is consistent with the high prevalence of malnutrition among 0-5 year age group where 22.2 % and 27.9 % are underweight and stunted, respectively. Further, the FNRI-DOST survey also shows that among three-month old infants, nine out of 10 were given water as complementary food. Among four-month old infants, two out of 10 were given with sugar. These results fell short of the recommendation that only breast milk should be given to infants before six months.

In line with this, Ms. Melanie F. Lear, a researcher and faculty member of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), conceptualized a research proposal entitled, “Exclusive Breastfeeding among Selected Communities in Zamboanga City”. Generally, the study seeks to determine the factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding in selected communities in Zamboanga City. It also aims to determine the prevalence of mothers who exclusively breastfeed their infants in 2011-2012, as well as the knowledge and attitudes affecting exclusive breastfeeding practices of mothers in the local communities.

The proposal was submitted to the Zamboanga Consortium for Health Research and Development (ZCHRD) for review and endorsement for funding to the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) of the DOST. PCHRD is committed to develop and enhance the research capability of institutions in the regions, as a strategy to improve the health conditions of Filipinos. The proposal received a total funding amount of Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (P200,000.00) through the DOST-PCHRD Grants-in-Aid Program. The research started last March 2013, and expected to complete in August 2013.

Ms. Lear said that the research findings and recommendations would serve as a baseline data to improve the maternal and child care delivery. Consequently, it will aid health service providers, practitioners, government agencies such as the DOH, DOST-PCHRD, and other non-government organizations to effectively formulate / enhance policies and advocacy to achieve better nutritional status of our infants and young children.

Taken from http://region9.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=56:dost-pchrd-funds-wmsus-research-on-exclusive-breastfeeding-in-zamboanga-city&catid=1:latest-news

Date Monday, 06 May 2013 10:09

True to its objective of building the consortium’s health research and development capacity through expanding research education and training opportunities, the Health Research and Development Consortium Region IV-A once again conducted the Seminar-Workshop on Ethics in Health Research (Basic Course). The seminar was held at De La Salle Health Sciences Institute (DLSHSI), Dasmarinas City, Cavite on April 18-19, 2013. The two-day activity has been organized in response to the number of request received from the members of HRDCR IV-A to repeat the training on ethics in health research held last October 3-4, 2012.The participants who attended April 2013’s event were mostly from the newly added member-institutions of Region IV-A and other members of Ethics Committees who were not able to attend the previous training.

The activity consisted of lectures and workshops led by Dr. Angelica D. Francisco, Chair of DLSHSI Independent Ethics Committee (IEC) and HRDCR IV-A Subcommittee on Ethics, Dr. Melchor Victor G. Frias, IV, DLSHSI Vice Chancellor for Research and HRDCR IV-A Convenor and Dr. Eleanor P. Padla, also a member of the IEC and Director of Research Administration and Development of DLSHSI Research Division. Lectures focused on the important concepts and principles of Ethics in Health Research that can be useful in resolving ethical dilemmas. The different controls for Ethics in Research were also discussed. The conference also provided a unique opportunity not only for the participants but also for the speakers to learn from each other’s expertise, challenges, conflicts and dilemmas.

As Dr. Frias said in one of his lectures, the participants are the most important member or person in a research study. The welfare and safety of the participants must be at the forefront of any research endeavour.

The organizers and speakers are hopeful that the training enhanced the delegates capacity as a researcher equipped with improved ethical judgement and decision making towards doing and advocating quality ethical research.***

Taken From http://region4a.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31:personnel-of-hrdcr-iv-a-member-institutions-undergo-seminar-on-ethics-in-health-research&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=6

Date: Monday, 20 May 2013 07:15

The Committee on Human Resource and Development of the Central Visayas Consortium for Health Research and Development chaired by Dr. Melfer R. Montoya conducted a “Forum on Challenges and Opportunities in Research” on January 31, 2013 at the Cebu Institute of Medicine Amphitheater 1.  This activity was conducted to increase awareness and knowledge on health research.

All member institutions together with the University of Cebu and the University of San Jose Recoletos who applied for membership in the consortium were invited and encouraged to send 15 participants per institution.

Three competent speakers were invited to share their expertise in the field of health research.  Dr. Asuncion M. Anden, the Director of the Department of Health Region VII, Dr. Alan B. Feranil, the Director of the University of San Carlos, Office of Population Studies Foundation and Dr. Frances E. Edillo, a faculty member of the Biology Department of the University of San Carlos.  Due to other important commitments, Dr. Anden was represented by Dr. Crisol Tabarejo, Epidemiologist of the Department of Health Region VII.

Dr. Tabarejo talked about the topic “Revisiting the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA)”.  She said that the NUHRA 2011-2016 is a product of consultation and consolidation of the research priorities of the four core agencies of the PNHRS (DOH, PCHRD-DOST, CHED, NIH-UPM).  She stressed the importance of the NUHRA that was designed for the following purposes:  1)To provide focus and direction on health research and development efforts that will address the country’s health concerns for 2011-2016, 2) To serve as a guide where policy makers, funding and donor agencies and researchers from public and private sectors should invest to ensure the health and productivity of the country’s productivity, 3) To assist in providing evidence based solutions to pressing local health problems, 4) To serve as basis to maximize resource utilization and minimize duplication of research efforts, 5) that NUHRA serves as the template for health research and development efforts in addressing the country’s health concerns for 2011-2016.

 Dr. Tabarejo also emphasized that the formulation of the NUHRA 2011-2016 is anchored on the following national and international commitments: 1)The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), 2) The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, 3) The “Aquino Health Agenda: Universal Health Care for all Filipinos”, 4) The Presidential Coordinating Council on Research and Development’s (PCCRD) National R&D Priorities Plan 2011-2016, 5) The DOST Five-Point Priority Program for 2011-2016. She ended her talk by encouraging the audience to come up with quality researches aligned with the NUHRA or RUHRA.

Dr. Alan B. Feranil discussed the topic “Looking for and Obtaining Funding for Health Research in the Philippines.” He shared to the group the different funding agencies coming from different sectors of the society.  Among the government agencies that fund health research are the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), Department of Health, DENR-Environment Management Bureau for environmental issues, and DOLE-Occupational Health and Safety Center for occupational health concerns.  Local foundations such as Gruppo Medica and Pfizer Foundation also fund health researches.  Foreign sources include Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA),   UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities), UNICEF, UNAIDS, USAID, and many others.  Dr. Feranil emphasized that research funding is not a problem but focus should be on producing quality researches.

Dr. Frances E. Edillo focused her talk on the “Research Operational Mechanism in Academic Institutions.” The lecture encouraged all universities to become research universities. She also brought in the new typology of Philippine Educational Reform (cited by Salas, 2011) that for a University to remain a university, it should meet the following criteria: doctoral programs in at least 5 disciplines, 70% of BS programs with a thesis or project paper, International linkages, 10% of enrollment should be graduate programs, 30% of faculty be actively involved in research and 10% of faculty should have publications in refereed journals.

 A lot of participants showed their interest to know more on the different topics presented by the speakers that it led to a very lively discussion during the open forum.  Dr. Amelia Biglete, the Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education Region VII confirmed that the Commission on Higher Education is very much willing to fund quality researches.

From http://region7.healthresearch.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42:cvchrd-forum-on-challenges-and-opportunities-in-research&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=6

Date 23 April 2013 15:08