Unlike the usual photo walls, pull-up banners and posters, this year’s anniversary exhibit of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) highlighted benefits of its breakthrough technologies and services.

34th PCHRD anniversary exhibit area

According to Dr. Jaime Montoya, PCHRD Executive Director, the exhibit is part of the usual activities conducted by the Council every anniversary celebration. “For our 34^th anniversary, we want to showcase our technologies and services that really benefited our stakeholders,” he explained.

Among the technologies featured during the Council’s 34^th anniversary celebration were eHATID, RxBox, Axis Knee System and Biotek-M. Benefits of PCHRD services namely Dengue Vector Surveillance Website, Philippine Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), Philippine Drug Discovery and Development (DDD) Program, and Philippine Health Research Registry (PHRR) were also showcased.

The eHATID was said to provide decision-making support to LGUs as it delivers real time health information even without internet connection while the RxBox reduces unnecessary travels and hospitalizations as it enables diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of patients even from geographically isolated and depressed areas of the country.

The Axis Knee System allows access to knee replacement as it is 40-50% cheaper than imported brands while the Biotek-M Dengue Detection Kit is as accurate as the currently available Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology yet less costly as it is locally developed.

The dengue.ph website shows the areas vulnerable for a dengue outbreak and the possible measures that can be implemented based on the mosquito indices while TKDL aids in the creation of health policies and programs for improving the health status and health services delivery of IP communities through the data gathered in its website.

Moreover, the DDD Program develops alternative drugs that are safe, effective, accessible, and affordable compared to imported medicine while PHRR, a publicly accessible database on health researches and clinical trials, allows researchers to input and update data entries by themselves.

“These [technologies and services] are testaments that the Council has continued directing programs and advocacies for stronger health research culture in the country,” Dr. Montoya emphasized.

Founded on 17 March 1982, PCHRD is a forward-looking, partnership-based national body responsible for coordinating and monitoring research activities in the country. For more information, visit our website at www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph.