Set for its annual celebration, the 17th Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week will be held on 13-16 August 2024 at Almont Inland Resort,  Butuan City. With the theme, “Leveraging Global Networks in Advancing the National Health Research System,” the 17th PNHRS Week will underscore the importance of collaborative efforts—locally, nationally, and globally—in addressing complex health challenges and accelerating health research and innovations.

Anticipated to attract around 500 participants from across the country, the celebration will focus on promoting health research and development through various activities, enhancing the visibility and significance of health research in the country.

Hosted by the Caraga Health Research and Development Consortium (CHRDC) in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), the celebration will feature a range of pre-conference and conference activities aimed at disseminating health research outputs, improving researchers’ communication skills, and fostering partnerships within the health research community.

Key Activities:

Pre-Conference Sessions (13-14 August 2024)

• 3-Minute Pitch to Policymakers Competition

Researchers will present the policy implications of their completed health research studies in a 3-minute pitch to policymakers. This competition aims to enhance their presentation skills and effectively communicate research results to inform evidence-based policymaking.

• Research Poster Contest (Student and Professional Categories)

This contest recognizes excellence in health research through visual abstract posters, providing a platform for both students and professionals to showcase their work.

• Business Meeting of PNHRS Technical Working Committee on Capacity Building

The committee members will review the strategic initiatives, outcomes, and the balanced scorecard for capacity building of the draft PNHRS Strategic Plan 2023-2028 to streamline the next steps for implementation.

• Oral Research Paper Presentation Competition (Student and Professional Categories)

A platform for sharing selected health research outputs from various regions, highlighting findings that contribute to healthier Filipino communities.

• PNHRS SOME Committee Meeting

Focus on the activities and deliverables for CY 2024, ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of the health research system.

• RAMC Meeting on Agenda Scoping and M&E Protocol Finalization

Discussion on the finalization of the NUHRA M&E Protocol, health agenda scoping and mapping, and advocacy activities.

• RHRDC Secretariat Assembly

An avenue for sharing knowledge and best practices, fostering collaboration among regional secretariats and DOST-PCHRD project officers.

• Information Session on GCARSIH

Highlighting the Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health, which recognizes innovative health research addressing societal and health system challenges.

• PNHRS Resource Mobilization Committee Meeting

Reviewing accomplishments, planning resource mobilization activities for 2025, and discussing support systems for regional research. Additionally, the committee members will review the draft PNHRS Strategic Plan for 2023-2028.

• Consortium Poster Competition

Highlighting this year’s theme, emphasizing joint efforts in tackling health challenges and advancing health research innovations.

• Philippine Health Research Innovations Matching Event

PHRIME will serve as a platform for LGUs to articulate their needs to innovators and researchers in academia. Interactive discussion will be done to explore potential solutions and collaborations to address the needs highlighted by the LGU representatives.

• PHREB-CIDTA Training of Trainers (TOT) Phase 2

The training will serve as a venue to further enhance the capacity of the potential trainers who underwent the first phase of the Training of Trainers, ultimately increasing the cadre of research ethics trainers across the country.

• RHRDC Secretariat Assembly

An avenue for sharing knowledge and best practices, fostering collaboration among regional secretariats and DOST-PCHRD project officers.

Main Conference (August 15-16, 2024)

The main conference will commence with the launching of the 2024 Gelia Castillo Award for Research on Social Innovations in Health (GCARSIH), which seeks to recognize outstanding research that addresses social challenges in health. In addition, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Health (DRR-CCAH) Research Agenda 2023-2028 and the Philippine Brain Research Agenda 2024-2028 will be launched, marking significant steps forward in these critical areas of health research.

Plenary Session 1 will address “Global Health Threats and Collaborative Solutions,” focusing on the importance of international cooperation in tackling global health challenges. This will be followed by Plenary Session 2, titled “Capacitating Networks Through Collaborations in Health Research,” which will explore how collaborative efforts can enhance the capacity and effectiveness of health research networks.

Plenary Session 3, “Fostering Adaptive Ethical Dimensions of Health Research in Global Partnerships,” will delve into the ethical considerations necessary for conducting health research in a global context, ensuring that collaborative efforts are grounded in strong ethical principles. Finally, Plenary Session 4, “Expanding the Frontiers of Health Research for Universal Health Care,” will highlight innovative research initiatives aimed at achieving universal health care, emphasizing the role of cutting-edge research in expanding health care access and quality.

The conference will conclude with the Closing and Awarding Ceremonies, where outstanding contributions to health research will be recognized, and participants will reflect on the insights and progress achieved during the event.

The PNHRS Week celebration is held annually every second week of August, in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 1309 of June 2007, reinforcing the importance of health research in the national development agenda. For more information and registration, visit the DOST-PCHRD Facebook page.