Recognizing the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in health, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Health (DOH) will hold the first Philippine eHealth Summit on 4 February 2014 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila.

With the theme, “eHealth Innovations for Universal Health Care (UHC),” the summit will not just be a venue for exchange of information and expertise on current eHealth initiatives in the country but also for presenting the Philippine eHealth Strategic Framework and Plan to gather inputs from stakeholders.

One of the important eHealth programs is the setting up of the Philippine Health Information Exchange (PHIE) to ensure the availability of health information, crucial in making informed decisions for both health practitioners and policy-makers. The PHIE will be an enabling system of interoperably health-related information, databases and registries linking all health services, users and providers.

The Summit will also feature the eHealth Marketplace and Poster Exhibit competition. The eHealth Marketplace is a platform for the government, private and industry sectors, ICT developers, international development organizations, academe, to meet, discuss, and form partnerships on eHealth innovations to support the Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (Universal Health Care). The poster exhibit contest, meanwhile, is a competition for undergraduate students and professionals on eHealth researches, projects and applications.