Regional health research group beefs up health agenda

By Ma. Cristina C. Arzadon

Thursday 7th of June 2012

BATAC CITY, June 6 (PIA) -- The Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium (R1HRDC) continues to strengthen its health research agenda for the region, following its second management committee meeting on June 1.

Dr. Ma. Lourdes Otayza, R1HRDC chair and director of the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Canter, deliberated with committee heads and representatives on the 2012 plan of activities that will serve as the group’s guidepost in implementing various programs.

The consortium is composed of four committees, namely Research and Development, Capacity Building, Ethics and Review and Research Utilization, which are tasked to create programs and implement them through the funding support of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

At least three research proposals from various schools in the Ilocos Region have been approved and granted funding to address health concerns in the region.

The research priorities were classified in various categories namely: drug discovery and development, development of diagnostic kits for priority diseases, genomic and molecular technology, functional food, ICT health and hospital equipment and biomedical devices.

The group will start holding a forum next month to disseminate the consortium’s health research agenda.

Otayza also directed various committee heads to create a pool of speakers who will serve as resource persons when the group starts its media advocacy on health concerns.

The group’s next management committee meeting was set in August to follow up on the status of various committee projects. (ANL/CCA-PIA 1, Ilocos Norte)