In 2011, USAID awarded the global five-year SIAPS program to Management Sciences for Health. The program, implemented in more than 20 countries in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, including the Philippines, aims to support partners to ensure the availability of quality pharmaceutical products and effective pharmaceutical services to achieve desired health outcomes.

By using a systems strengthening framework, SIAPS supports the Department of Health (DOH) National TB Control Program and other agencies to improve TB laboratory and pharmaceutical services. The program also ensures the availability of medicines, related commodities, and laboratory supplies. This is being done through a strong focus on country ownership and sustainability.

SIAPS Philippines’ other key partners include the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines, the National TB Reference Laboratory, the DOH Pharmaceutical
Division, local government units, and other TB stakeholders, including USAID/Philippines health implementing partners.

ACTIVITIES

• Enhancing the capacity of National TB Reference Laboratory capacity to lead and manage the National TB Program laboratory network
• Facilitating local government-led scale-up of grassroots health leadership and management model, known as Barangay Health Management Council
• Building the National TB Control Program’s capacity in supply chain management (i.e. forecasting, selection, procurement, distribution, storage and rational use)
• Strengthening the pharmacovigilance system to ensure patient safety for new multi-drug resistant tuberculosis medicines and novel regimens
• Strengthening the capacity of government agencies in information utilization for decision making

RESULTS

• Improved coordination, information sharing and accountability among TB stakeholders through the organized laboratory and pharmaceutical working groups
• Increased community leadership and management through the Barangay Health Management Council initiative
• Strengthened the National TB Control Program and the National TB Reference Laboratory by developing guidelines for scale-up of Xpert MTB/Rif, a medical equipment to run tests for multidrug resistant TB, Practical Guide for the Management of Pharmaceuticals, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Laboratory Information Management, and SOPs on Pharmacovigilance Cohort Event Monitoring

GOAL

To strengthen key institutions in reducing TB burden through increased access to good quality and effective pharmaceutical and laboratory services.

OBJECTIVES

• Improve capacity for pharmaceutical and laboratory leadership, governance and management
• Improve capacity to deliver pharmaceutical and laboratory services