May 14, 2024

CDC in Philippines

CDC Philippines, established in 2022, works closely with the Government of the Philippines on various public health initiatives. Key activities focus on strengthening health systems and preventing and controlling infectious and non-infectious diseases.

Flag of the Philippines. Two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red. A white equilateral triangle is based on the left (hoist) side. The center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays. Each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star.

Overview

A healthcare worker in an orange shirt leans over a table and writes down information, while talking to a patient in front of him. They are sitting at a table indoors. — Healthcare worker and patient at a CDC-supported HIV clinic.

CDC established an office in the Philippines in 2022. CDC supports the Philippines Department of Health (DOH) with advancing a broad range of health priorities.

CDC partners with the government of the Philippines and local organizations to:

Prevent and control communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response.
Expand global health security capacity.

Global health security

4 laboratorians stand in front of a desk with test tube trays on it. One person is writing down something while the other people look on. — Workers at a medical center laboratory in Cebu, Philippines.

CDC provides expertise to strengthen health systems, prevent and detect health threats early, and quickly respond to outbreaks. CDC's global health security work in the Philippines focuses on building capacity across four core areas:

Disease surveillance.
Laboratory systems.
Workforce development.
Emergency management and response.

In alignment with DOH priorities, CDC partners with healthcare institutions to address infectious disease threats in healthcare facilities. This will help ensure that infectious disease threats are identified and contained through surveillance and infection prevention and control.

HIV

Many people with face masks covering their nose and mouth are standing or sitting outdoors near a table and tent. — CDC-supported clinic provides a range of HIV prevention services.

The Philippines is experiencing the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Western Pacific region, with a 411% increase in daily HIV incidence between 2012 and 2023.

Through the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC focuses on closing gaps in HIV prevention and treatment service delivery. CDC works closely with the Philippines DOH and other partners to ensure that PEPFAR activities are aligned with national strategies, priorities, and needs.

CDC's work focuses on:

Scaling up comprehensive HIV care and treatment services.
- Promoting community-based testing.
- Increasing demand for PrEP.
- Strengthening antiretroviral treatment retention to maximize viral suppression.
Establishing recent infection surveillance within routine HIV testing services.
Improving laboratory services to ensure timely and routine viral load monitoring.
Strengthening national guidelines, policies, and practices.
Developing community messages to reduce stigma and promote Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U).

Scaling up the HIV Response ‎

CDC Philippines uses peer navigators for linkage to care from community-based testing sites. CDC-supported peer navigators help promote Undetectable=Untransmissible HIV prevention and stigma reduction messages for key populations.

Tuberculosis (TB)

CDC's PEPFAR program in the Philippines aims to increase access to TB preventive treatment among people living with HIV.

CDC is helping to reduce cases of TB among Filipino migrants and refugees on their way to the U.S. About 71% of reported TB cases in the United States are among non-U.S.–born persons. Philippines is the country of birth for nearly 13% of these cases.

CDC's goal is to engage public health officials to develop a system to identify and treat people with active TB or who are at risk of TB infection.

Vaccine-preventable diseases

CDC leads the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) Program in collaboration with the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The STOP Program recruits and trains international public health consultants who support immunization activities. STOP consultants also respond to disease outbreaks and support of polio eradication. The program is currently participating in the development of the Measles Outbreak Strategic Plan.

Rubella vaccination coverage in the Philippines is less than optimal. The true burden of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) is unknown due to a lack of surveillance. CDC is supporting a study to document the burden of CRS in the Philippines.

Influenza (flu)

CDC helps enable early detection and identification of emerging flu viruses and outbreaks of severe respiratory illness syndromes. CDC works with the Philippines to:

Strengthen surveillance and laboratory capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to influenza threats.
Strengthen connections between national institutions, especially National Influenza Centers.
Maintain capacity to share specimens, clinical, and epidemiologic data on influenza circulation.

Non-communicable diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), a group of heart and blood vessel disorders, are the leading cause of death worldwide. Early screening, detection, and treatment are critical to preventing the consequences of CVDs. Many low- and middle-income countries, including the Philippines, have limited laboratory capacity and infrastructure to address CVDs.

CDC is working with partners to strengthen capabilities in the Philippines to perform point-of-care lipid testing, especially in rural areas with no central laboratory. Point-of-care testing means that lipids (fatty acids that are key indicators of CVDs) can be tested wherever the patient is. This approach eliminates the need for transportation and storage of blood samples, increases access to testing, and improves health outcomes.