Project Fact Sheet | The Philippines

Who we are HealthPRO is the lead USAID health promotion and communication project in the Philippines, working closely with the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH), Local Government Units (LGUs), local NGOs, other collaborating agencies and the private sector since 2007 to broaden the reach and improve the quality of health communication.

Implemented by University Research Co., LLC (URC), the project aims to:

¡ Increase the impact of behavioral change communication interventions; and

¡ Develop institutional capacity of government and non-government agencies to design and implement high impact health promotion and communication interventions.

Key to the 5-year project is sustainability. HealthPRO functions as a strategist and a catalyst to innovate, strengthen, and improve the quality and impact of health promotion activities. Appropriate local institutions are in the lead.

HealthPRO also aims to identify and disseminate the evidence-based best practices already available but under-utilized, rather than create new materials or programs.

Focus areasThe project focuses on a range of health program issues, including:

¡ Maternal, neonatal, child health and nutrition

¡ Family planning

¡ Tuberculosis

¡ HIV/AIDS

Health Promotion and Communication Project (HealthPRO)

Midwife conducting a family planning health class in Capiz province

Where we workHealthPro is being implemented in 9 regions, 30 provinces, and 11 cities (HIV/AIDS sentinel sites).

The Philippines

HealthPRO project areas

November 2010

A mix of communication channels is used to influence individuals and communities to adopt healthy behavior:

¡ Interpersonal Communications and Counseling (IPC/C)

¡ Community Mobilization

¡ Local Media

Key achievementsTogether with national and local partners, developed:

¡ Provincial level BCC plans. HealthPRO built capacity in analysis and use of health data by working with the LGU staff to translate local data into strategic communication plans.

¡ The national Family Planning BCC strategy and campaign implementation.

¡ A Safe Motherhood communication strategy and campaign implementation.

¡ A marketing strategy and implementation of scaling-up and repositioning the national child health campaign, Garantisadong Pambata.

¡ An image building and communication strategy for the Department of Health in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and campaign implementation.

¡ A TB plan for communication interventions.

¡ An HIV/AIDS communication strategy and development of campaign implementation plans.

¡ Production and dissemination of community mobilization plans, modules and tools.

¡ Production of training, communication, and M&E materials.

¡ Technical assistance and training to assist LRAs to implement communication interventions.

University Research Co., LLC • Unit 702/703 Liberty Center Building • 104 H. V. Dela Costa Street • Salcedo Village • Makati City • Manila • PhilippinesTel: 63-2-884-80-50 to 52 • www.urc-chs.com

A couple gives testimony as family planning users at a health class in a rural village in the Visayas region

Improving systems to empower communities

How we workHealthPRO works through five strategically integrated approaches:

¡ Creating supportive environments. By working with national and local levels among the DOH, LGUs, and other partners to enhance their institutional capabilities to plan, manage, and finance health BCC programs and to maximize the impact and sustainability of such programs. Through community-level advocacy for increased BCC activities and resources and to encourage individuals to visit health facilities.

¡ Creating positive supportive social norms. Community mobilization activities, including health classes, group counseling, community health events, encouraging and training LGUs to work with local media to support BCC and material development and dissemination.

¡ Enhancing client/provider interactions. Through training of health service providers and community volunteers on IPC/C, job aids, and increasing client access to information.

¡ Improving and sustaining individuals’ behaviors, attitudes and knowledge. Through proper market segmentation and targeted communication interventions.

¡ Capacity building. Through local BCC planning; enhancing the communication infrastructure of the DOH and local counterparts; training and curriculum development; coordinating across non-health sectors, including public-private partnerships; empowering local community and social networks to take an active role in BCC; and monitoring and evaluation.

Interventions are delivered directly by HealthPRO staff, and/or through its sub-contractors or local replicating agents (LRAs).