RTI commends new multi-disease elimination plan announced in the Philippines

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — RTI International, a nonprofit research institute and leading international development organization, commends the government of the Philippines on its new Multi-Disease Elimination Plan focused on reducing 13 priority diseases by 2030. Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Health and Atul Gawande, Assistant Administrator for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) attended the launch event earlier this week. The plan underscores the need for strong, integrated primary health care systems as the nation moves toward Universal Health Coverage.  

In response, Cristina Bisson, vice president for global health at RTI International, stated:

“I applaud the Philippine Department of Health’s launch of the Multi-Disease Elimination Plan (MDEP) yesterday as part of a celebration of the fourth annual World Neglected Tropical Disease Day.

In the Philippines and around the world, infectious diseases remain a major public health burden, negatively affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of individuals and threatening global health security. 

For over 35 years, we have collaborated with clients and partners in the Philippines to advance sustainable, inclusive and multi-sectoral solutions for the most difficult development challenges. We are so proud to have co-led USAID-funded activities to strengthen and improve access to critical health services for Filipino families since 2013. In close partnership with our Philippine counterparts -- including the Department of Health, Commission on Population and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Education (DepEd), civil society and the private sector – these efforts have helped lay the groundwork for the integrated primary care and Universal Health Coverage needed to achieve the MDEP. 

We at RTI look forward to supporting this ambitious plan through continued partnerships with donors, ministries, local public health networks, academia, the private sector and community-based organizations."

Learn more about the USAID ReachHealth project

Learn more about the USAID Act to End NTDs | East program  

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Find out how RTI is partnering across sectors in the Philippines