BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The city government has entered into a pioneering accord with private consulting and mentoring firm Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO) Inc. to pilot a social contracting arrangement for its public health programs which will initially focus on tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Under the Memorandum of Agreement signed on Sept. 9 by Mayor Benjamin Magalong and AIHO project lead Dr. Zhamir Umag, the two parties will collaborate on a technical assistance project for the city to advance its social contracting efforts to strengthen engagements with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and enhance health service delivery.
Social contracting involves governments tapping non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the CBOs to deliver services thereby leveraging the expertise and community connections of these CBOs to effectively reach its target clients.
Under the agreement, the AIHO will conduct organizational readiness, organizational capacity and fiscal landscape assessments of the city government; mentor and coach CBOs to enhance their organizational and technical capabilities; and provide assistance in drafting a technical advisory or policy brief on social contracting and support during policy advocacy efforts related to the social contracting.
For its part, the city will provide AIHO the needed information and key personnel to facilitate the assessments, capacity building and policy development processes; select and ensure active participation of the CBOs and support the capacity building activities
The agreement will be in effect for one year.
City Health Officer Dr. Celia Flore Brillantes who will serve as the city’s focal person said the project’s focus will be on TB and HIV, two areas included in the eight-point action agenda or priority programs of the Dept. of Health (DOH).
The agenda includes expanding access to TB and HIV screening and treatment for vulnerable populations, aligning with the national goal of ensuring universal access to healthcare.(By Aileen P. Refuerzo)
