Global Fund and Asian Development Bank Partner to Advance Universal Health Care in the Philippines
GENEVA/MANILA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) today announced a US$2 million co-financing agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support the Philippines in advancing universal health care and expanding access to quality health services.
This contribution stems from a memorandum of understanding both organizations signed in April 2024 to strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage (UHC) in Asia and the Pacific.
The collaboration between the Philippines, ADB and the Global Fund – which will run until 31 December 2027 – will strengthen the Philippines’ Building Universal Health Care (BUHC) program, by enhancing domestic health financing and integrating HIV and tuberculosis (TB) services into national systems, supporting the country’s transition to sustainable UHC. The partnership will draw on both ADB and the Global Fund’s expertise and country-led model to improve access to primary care and strengthen the integrated control of infectious diseases among the country’s most vulnerable populations.
About Universal Health Coverage
UHC aims to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can access quality health services without suffering financial hardship. To achieve UHC, it is essential to focus on ensuring the most marginalized and vulnerable populations have access to the health services they need. Communities must be meaningfully engaged, for solutions that are effective and sustainable.
Globally, the UHC service coverage index score increased from 45% in 2000 to 68% in 2021. Seventy percent of this improvement is due to progress made in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria – primarily the scale-up of HIV treatment, as well as expanded TB treatment and malaria prevention through coverage of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Progress Against the Three Diseases in the Philippines
The end of malaria is in sight in the Philippines thanks to decades of work to establish high coverage of effective control interventions, such as targeted, intensified case management, insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying with insecticides. As a result, the majority of the Philippines’ 82 provinces are malaria-free.
While progress against HIV and TB has been achieved in some critical areas, overall gains have been more restrained.
The Philippines has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world. Key populations at high risk of HIV are disproportionately affected, accounting for around 90% of cases. Around one-third of people living with HIV are undiagnosed, and challenges in linkage to treatment mean that many people living with HIV are not yet on antiretroviral therapy. The country’s HIV response is using strategies tailored to distinct epidemic characteristics with the aim of addressing prevention and testing gaps, and securing stronger gains in treatment enrollment and viral suppression.
TB remains a major public health threat in the Philippines. The World Health Organization identifies the country as one of the 30 high-TB burden nations, accounting for around 6-7% of global TB cases. While TB case notifications are increasing, a significant proportion of people with TB are not being diagnosed and enrolled on treatment. Drug resistance, gaps in treatment and geographic barriers presented by the archipelago of over 7,000 islands complicate efforts. Ensuring equitable access to health services, addressing stigma, and integrating TB and HIV care are critical areas of focus, as are strengthening data systems, diagnostic infrastructure and community-based initiatives to improve outcomes and reduce transmission.
About the Asian Development Bank and the Global Fund
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members – 49 from the region.
The Global Fund is a worldwide partnership to defeat AIDS, TB and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all. We raise and invest up to US$4 billion a year to fight the deadliest infectious diseases, challenge the injustice that fuels them, and strengthen health systems and pandemic preparedness in more than 100 of the hardest hit countries. We unite world leaders, communities, civil society, health workers and the private sector to find solutions that have the most impact, and we take them to scale worldwide. Since 2002, the Global Fund partnership has saved 70 million lives.