PASAY CITY – The Department of Health and the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development co-organized the 16^th National Health Research for Action (NHRFA) last 16 September 2016 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Pasay City.

With the theme, Laying the Foundation for Stronger Research Translation, the forum showcased the importance of linking health research to policy formulation in creating evidence-based solutions to various issues on health. Access to data was highlighted during the plenary session on Data Mining and Visualization. Unavailability of primary data, inconsistency, and respondent’s lack of trust to field workers were cited as major challenges in obtaining comprehensive research data.

In her keynote address, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial emphasized the need for research in making hard reforms on health. According to Secretary Rosell-Ubial, there will be more funding for health research in the next six years. “Homegrown research helps us become more accountable to the people we serve. Indeed, for something as important as health research, there can be no room for limits or constraints,” she stated.