DOH Memorandum on "Interim Guidelines for the Transition of Disease-Based Programs to the Implementation of Integrated Primary Care Services for UHC"

The Department of Health on February 20, 2023 issued a memorandum addressed to all its regional directors and the Ministry of Health of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and chiefs of its hospitals and attached agencies, which provided interim guidelines while disease-based programs (namely those of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau) are undergoing transition towards integrated primary care services, pursuant to the policies of the Universal Health Care Act.

Particular to the HIV and STI prevention and control program, the following were included in the issuance:

• Certifications for primary HIV care facility and HIV treatment hub, prerequisite to PhilHealth accreditation, through the DOH Centers for Health Development (CHD) as partner implementing institution;

• Trainings for HIV counseling and testing, prerequisite to PhilHealth accreditation, through CHD, and primary HIV care and HIV clinical management, through CHD and DOH-designated HIV treatment facilities;

• Training for rHIVda confirmatory testing, prerequisite to DOH license to operate (LTO) and PhilHealth accreditation, through the National Reference Laboratory-STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (NRL-SACCL);

• HIV counseling and testing training also available with external partners serving as implementers as listed under tinyurl.com/HIVCounselingandTesting

• Training of trainers for HIV counseling and testing to be organized by CHDs in collaboration with partners for funding support, and tapping the pool of trainers under the former DOH National AIDS/STI Prevention and Control Program (NASPCP) as listed under tinyurl.com/HIVCounselingandTestingTOT

Under the revised structure of the DPCB for this transition, the memorandum also specified the formation of a team for tuberculosis, HIV/STIs, and vector-borne diseases, under the Adult Health Division, with Ms. Paulin Camille Baladjay as focal person for standards and strategy, and Ms. Mary Joy Morin for stewardship and synergy.

The DOH memorandum was issued by Assistant Secretary for Health Beverly Lorraine Ho of the Public Health Services Team.

Download the issuance: DM No. 2023-0094 dated February 20, 2023