The Philippines received a $2-million technical assistance (TA) grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR) to finance Universal Health Care in the country.
The TA aims to support the pilot implementation of UHC policy reforms in select local government units and provide policy recommendations for subsequent UHC-related program/s.
The grant also serves to support the ADB’s $600-million loan to the Government of the Philippines (GOP) for the “Build Universal Health Care Program.”
“The Philippines is now regarded on the same path [as Japan],” Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa said. “This achievement and the leadership of the GOP, in particular the finance and health departments, have to be applauded.”
The Japanese government said among the expected outputs of the TA by the end of its implementation in October 2024 includes the strengthened financing and strategic purchasing for UHC.
The data also showed the increased quantity and quality of health facilities and workers and expanded access to primary care and health promotion services.
The Japanese government said the Philippines is the first country to receive this newly introduced UHC window project under the JFPR trust fund administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Koshikawa said with the increasing calls on UHC implementation worldwide, Japan aims to take the lead in the UHC discourse by using international platforms to highlight the role of UHC in nation building.
He likewise underscored Japan’s achievements in reaching universal health coverage and decreasing infant mortality rate early on, which eventually became the impetus for Japan’s high-growth period.
The JFPR was established in May 2000 after the Asian Financial Crisis and has since been instrumental in extending grant aid to underprivileged and vulnerable groups in developing member-countries of the ADB.