A health care worker receives her certificate of participation from the four-day ‘Certificate Course on Strategic Communication for Health Governance (CC-SCHG) conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) – Ilocos Region in partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) – Graduate School of Public and Development Management for health education and promotion officers (HEPOs) of local government units in preparation for this year’s implementation of the health department’s “Healthy Settings Program (HSP)”.
Santiago, Ilocos Sur – The Department of Health (DOH) – Ilocos Region in partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) – Graduate School of Public and Development Management conducted a four-day ‘Certificate Course on Strategic Communication for Health Governance (CC-SCHG) for health education and promotion officers (HEPOs) of local government units, provincial development management officers and medical officers of public hospitals in preparation for this year’s implementation of the health department’s “Healthy Settings Program (HSP)” held in Santiago, Ilocos Sur from March 21-24, 2023.
The HSP is a settings-based approaches to health promotion that involves a holistic and multi-disciplinary method which integrates action across risk factors.
“The goal is to maximize disease prevention through the “whole system” approach. It is a setting where people actively use and shape the environment and therefore, they will be the one to create or solve problems relating to health,” Regional Health Promotion Unit (HPU) Manager and Medical Officer III, Cheryl M. Buhong stated.
“The HSP includes community participation, partnership, empowerment and equity. And HEPOs are critical in the success of this program that is why we are developing their skills in constructing communication plans to better understand the value of a strategic communication and its role in health governance.”
“Sila ang mangunguna sa pagpapatupad ng mga health programs at the grass roots kaya mahalagang malaman nila kung ano ang proseso at paano ito gagawin,” Buhong emphasized.
The HPU provides technical assistance for the implementation of health promotion activities aligned with the Health Promotion Framework Strategies (HPFS) to all local government units (LGUs).
The HPFS refers to the 10-year national roadmap on health promotion, which shall be the basis of implementation of health promotion in the country, both nationwide and locally.
Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco said that the certificate course shall assist health care workers in creating healthy communities and provide the technical skills to successfully implement evidence-based and effective health promotion program in their areas.
“We are already under Universal Health Care, and we must capacitate our workforce at the local level, with the needed competencies for the implementation of an integrated health system for primary health care through continuing training and education.”
“Health care also evolves that is why health care providers must regularly be kept abreast with the new techniques and technologies and expand their knowledge and skills in order to provide high-quality patient care,” Sydiongco added.
The Strategic Communication for Health Governance is a 3-credit unit course offered in 32 learning hours. A total of 33 participants successfully completed the workshop.
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