Davao City — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday, July 25 advocated the use of latest healthcare tools, innovations, and solutions in a bid to secure the welfare of individuals in the Asia-Pacific region.
He graced the Asia-Pacific Healthy Islands Conference 2018 at the Marco Polo Hotel here and cited the meeting as a very important event that will enable countries in the Asia-Pacific to explore practical solutions to solve shared health problems and overcome common challenges in delivering essential medical services to our peoples.
Duterte likewise discussed that the Asia-Pacific, especially the many island countries, are facing a very complex issue when it comes to healthcare, noting that geography has made establishing effective health systems that would be very difficult and costly.
He also pointed out that this vulnerability has become even more pronounced in times of natural disasters and calamities.
“Therefore, if we are to genuinely secure the welfare of our peoples in the region, a comprehensive and networked approach to delivering healthcare—employing the latest tools, innovations, techniques, and solutions—must be adopted,” he said.
“We must harmonize our policies and strategies so we can build responsive, effective, and resilient health systems that will not only withstand disaster but also assist our neighbors in times of need,” the President further said.
During his speech, President Duterte acknowledged the joint efforts of the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Climate Change Commission, and private partners for hosting the cross-country conference, “which explores opportunities for networked approaches, common markets, and sub-regional procurement for goods, drugs, and services.”
At the same time, he vowed to fully support the delegates of the climate and health conference as they engage with their counterparts and partners in the region and the rest of the world.
The three-day conference, according to DOH, aims to link practical solutions to various public health problems from climate change. These solution-oriented areas include renewable energy for health centers and communities; safe water, sanitation, and waste disposal in the aftermath of natural disasters; and green design for climate- and disaster-resilient health facilities. (PND)