Protecting Filipino Hearts through Health Promotion Research

(Estimated reading time: 3–5 minutes)

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, claiming 17.9 million lives each year. More than 80% of these have occurred in LMICs. Back in 2023, the Philippines reported 100,000+ Filipinos who died from heart-related conditions, consistently making the top 10 leading causes of mortality worldwide. However, these are not just a health concern, but an economic and social challenge. Tackling the burden of heart-related conditions presents a major financial burden for the government and families, the consequences of which become disproportionate to the majority of the population in LMICs due to high health spending when hospitalized, averaging around 20,000 USD per hospital discharge. 

Within the space of CVD prevention and control, we are reminded of two things, (1) CVDs are largely preventable, and (2) the discreet but critical role that health promotion research plays in supporting these efforts cannot be overemphasized. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an “NCDs best buys” which outlines cost-effective, evidence-based interventions that can further inform policy decisions. The best buys show how policies can best be used to deter unhealthy attitudes, cultivate avenues for healthy behaviors, and empower communities to make healthier choices. 

Health promotion research has provided governments with information that can further inform their policies, such as the level of tax that will reduce the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, incentives that can improve healthy behaviors, and evidence that increases awareness of proper nutrition and health literacy. This allows individuals to live their best lives in healthy settings institutionalized by health-enabling policies. 

Other studies including investments linked to health promotion and disease prevention further emphasize the importance of enabling people and to a larger extent socio-environmental interventions, to increase control and improve their overall health and well-being. Health promotion research tells us something as clear as day: coordinated action across stakeholders ultimately leads us to greater equity helping to make the healthier choice the easier choice for all.  Investing in health promotion research has enabled nations like Brazil, Jamaica, South Africa, and many more in creating effective strategies for disease prevention and meeting their populations' diverse health needs. They have prioritized local knowledge generation, increasing support for research training, infrastructure, and funding. This localized approach is crucial, as effective health promotion strategies must address the specific contexts affecting health in people's homes, workplaces, and communities.

In the same way, to combat heart disease in the Philippines, it must invest in high-impact health promotion research and the necessary infrastructure. This investment will enable timely research that can influence policies, settings, environments, and behaviors. Previously, the country has enacted legislation to support grants and fellowships for health promotion researchers. It recently established a network that brings together experts to collaborate and advance health promotion research efforts. And, it launched a dedicated Health Promotion Program to further health promotion research in the country. 

However, streamlining procurement and audit processes is crucial for supporting early-career researchers and fostering a positive environment for government-funded research. Current processes often cause unnecessary stress, delayed salaries, and hinder research activity due to bureaucratic delays, inflexibility, and limited grants management capacity. To effectively address long-term health promotion research on conditions like heart disease, we must align research grant and procurement processes to encourage long-term commitment in a fair, sustainable, and accountable way. The pursuit of world-class research requires equally world-class funding mechanisms, a topic we hope will be explored further. Recognizing the challenges in health promotion research is not enough. We must take concrete steps to address them.

Continued social, financial, and political investment is needed to ensure the effectiveness of health promotion strategies without it being overlooked in favor of short-term economic and political interests. It is crucial to acknowledge that these efforts need to engage stakeholders as a key consideration in understanding what works and what does not work as this allows for all angles and layers to be examined as outlined by the Bibingka strategy.

Health promotion and health promotion research are vital tools that will help us make meaningful progress in tackling the burden of CVDs. It is time we maximize their use.  However, change will not happen overnight. It requires sustained multisectoral collaboration, consistent investment, and a strong commitment to capacity building. Resources must be allocated, healthcare professionals must be empowered, and research must be actively supported. These efforts can be accomplished in most settings. We can carve out our share of the opportunity and ensure that countries equitably benefit from these initiatives. It’s a strategic move to invest in this long-term to secure our place in shaping a healthier future. After all, when it comes to heart health, we need to put in the effort—because love (and good policy) is all about lasting commitment.

Authors

Katherine Ann Reyes, MD, MPP is a health policy and systems researcher, analyst, teacher, and public health development professional, who led the establishment of the Health Promotion Program at the UP Manila NIH. She is an Equity Initiative Fellow (2025) and a Harvard LEAD Fellow (2023). 

Reiner Lorenzo Tamayo, RN, MAHPS is a health researcher and policy analyst working in the areas of tobacco and alcohol control, human resources for health, and community engagement. His work focuses on evidence-informed policies and strategic collaborations to strengthen public health systems.

Bill Whilson Baljon is a public health advocate from the Philippines. He is dedicated to promoting health equity and empowering communities through his work in health promotion, policy advocacy, and community engagement.

Lloyd Christiann Esteban is a development studies graduate and public health advocate. Shaped by his diverse experiences, he channels these motivations through intentional actions in the fields of health promotion, policy studies, and capacity building.

Alfredo Jose Ballesteros, MPH is a public health researcher formally trained at Universitas Gadjah Mada under the WHO-TDR program for implementation research. He has demonstrated experience in health policy research and health systems strengthening across thematic areas such as nutrition, tobacco control, and tuberculosis.

Krizelle Cleo Fowler, MSc is a graduate of epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has worked on health policy and systems research across the six building blocks of health but is particularly interested in social epidemiology and healthy brain aging.

Lynnell Alexie Ong, RMT is a public health professional with a background in health policy and systems research, research priority setting, and management. She is dedicated to contributing to evidence-informed decision-making in public health, while effectively leading and managing teams and processes to ensure efficient, impactful research initiatives.

Matthew Limlengco, MD, MBA is a graduate of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health’s MD-MBA dual degree program. Currently, he works as a primary care physician and in public health research. Some of the research he has worked on includes COVID-19 data management

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