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The Philippines government provides affordable health care to all its residents, but the rapidly growing population is putting pressure on infrastructure and medical personnel. Increasing the number of public-private partnerships and attracting new external investment in health care and innovation will help the Philippines keep pace with growing demand for improved health care.
The Philippines government is working to improve its health systems, but the rapidly growing population is adding pressure on infrastructure and medical personnel. Currently, the Philippines has about one doctor per 1,000 people, according to the World Health Organization — below its regional peers (1.6 doctors per 1,000 population) and the world average (1.5 doctors per 1,000 population). Lack of investment in – and inequities across – health infrastructure has encouraged some of the most-qualified medical professionals to seek work in other countries.
A lack of medical personnel in the Philippines could also affect the country’s ability to emerge as a destination for global clinical trials. Between 2000 and 2017, the Philippines attracted 900 clinical trials. However, the country could be attracting more R&D – and increasing patient access to essential medicines – through greater harmonization of regulatory processes within the ASEAN region and investment in public-private partnerships. These improvements will help the Philippines keep pace with the growing demand for health care.