Manila — Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique T. Ona and U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. launched 13 projects that will help enhance the overall health of Filipino families under the U.S.-Philippines bilateral health agreement.

The 13 projects, which amount to PhP7.96 billion (about US$194 million), will be implemented over a five-year period and will focus on 48 provinces nationwide.

Ambassador Thomas said, “These new projects, to be implemented by U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in cooperation with the DOH, will support an integrated approach to health service delivery and greater partnership between the public and private sectors.”

“We are encouraged by the wide-ranging reforms undertaken by the Philippine Government under President Aquino, and we hope our support will help push the already growing momentum for lasting change in the country, particularly with respect to health outcomes,” Ambassador Thomas added.

Secretary Ona said, “This portfolio is in line with the Philippine Development Plan and the DOH Universal Healthcare Strategy or Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (KP). Our objective is to help attain health-related Millennium Development Goals through targeted interventions in areas where the poor are most concentrated and unmet needs are highest. We are pleased that USAID is our partner in this initiative.”

The U.S. Government, through USAID, expects to contribute to the achievement of Philippine Government goals to reduce maternal and newborn deaths, reduce unmet need for family planning, reduce the prevalence of TB, and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“We are proud of the strong partnership between the DOH and USAID, and look forward to continued collaboration over the coming years as we scale up quality service delivery to improve the health of Filipino families, of particularly mothers and children,” USAID/Philippines Mission Director Gloria D. Steele said.