Local health governance remains to be a space in need of deepened people’s participation. In most cases, local health responses to community needs better health-seeking behavior which could only be attained by increasing the community awareness and overcoming misconceptions and stigma. As an institution working with both local health government units, communities, and community-based people’s organizations, IPG has navigated the available spaces for government-civil society participation in an array of local health concerns and programs:
- Strengthening Capacities of Barangay Health Workers and Expanding Community Participation in Local Health Care Systems and Processes: In the past, IPG had facilitated capacity building for partner LGUs and Barangay Health Workers for the improvement of their community health service delivery, through action-based research in partnership with barangay structures, and provision of venues and spaces for community participation in planning and accessing health care services.
- Human Rights and Harm Reduction: Complementary Approaches to Local Health Governance: Drawing on IPG’s strength in local governance and working with LGUs, the Institute initiated a range of activities aimed at institutionalizing mechanisms to humanize the local government response to drugs, mainstream human rights and harm reduction, and streamline public health services and programs inclusive for all community members.
- Response to COVID-19 Pandemic: IPG implemented an emergency response initiative at the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. These initiatives were exhaustively worked on, sustained and refined to be responsive to the times as the health crisis and its impacts were intensely felt for two years. The emergency program was the Health Emergency Assistance for LGU and Community Partners (HEAL), a package of direct (financial and material) and indirect (technical) assistance provided to LGUs based on their current needs.
