Healthcare industry gathers for Health Leadership Summit 2019

Delegates of the the Health Leadership Summit 2019 held last November 21, 2019 Thursday in Bonifacio Hall, Shangri-La at the Fort

More than 450 representatives from the government, private sector, and the academe gathered for the Health Leadership Summit 2019: The Big Shifts of the UHC Law last November 21 at the Bonifacio Hall of Shangri-La at The Fort, Taguig City.

The Health Leadership Summit, organized by Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health), in partnership with the Ateneo Professional Schools (APS), is a series of annual conferences for key stakeholders covering critical topics on the health system of the Philippines.

The whole-day conference elaborated on three big shifts introduced by the UHC Law, specifically on health care provider networks, primary health care providers, and preventive health promotion. Each topic was discussed by a panel of experts from the government, private sector, NGOs, and the academe. Anticipated challenges were presented and possible solutions from various sectors were given.

Also present at the summit were Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who emphasized the need for multi-sectoral collaboration towards UHC implementation, and Congresswoman Helen Tan of Quezon, the House Chairperson for the Committee on Health, who delivered the keynote speech that highlighted the big shifts introduced by the UHC Law and the rationale behind them.

“For us at AC Health, the objective is to bring together various stakeholders in the industry,” says AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo. “The success of UHC will not rest on one player alone, but will depend on the collective efforts across different sectors. This gathering is proof that there is so much interest and willingness to work towards real solutions to achieve universal healthcare.”

“Achieving UHC will require progressive realization and a whole-of-system, whole-of government, and whole-of-society approach,” said Secretary Duque. “The success of UHC is lodged in the meaningful and deliberate intersection of health leaders, the academe, and health care implementers – local government leaders and officials, and other stakeholders from various sectors... Everyone will have a role to fulfill.”