Sight-saving should be a shared mission.
This was the call of healthcare leaders, government officials, patient advocates, and international partners who came together to address the growing burden of vision-related illnesses in the Philippines.
At a high-level roundtable organized by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the Embassy of Switzerland, in partnership with Roche (Philippines) Inc. (hereafter, ‘Roche’), stakeholders, including the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and medical societies such as the Philippine Academy of
Ophthalmology (PAO), Vitreo-Retina Society of the Philippines (VRSP), and the Tzu Chi Foundation underscored the urgent need to develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for retinal diseases such as Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (nAMD).
‘Access challenges for innovative medicines for retinal disease continue to be a big challenge here. And there are no updated clinical practice guidelines or approved newer medicines in the Philippine national formulary. But at the same time, there’s hope,’ said Hans-Christian Brumann, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines.
‘Because in the end, this isn’t just about abstract discussions on medicines or policies. This is about enabling a grandmother in Cebu to continue being able to see her grandchild. It’s about enabling a worker in Manila to continue providing for his family or a student in Davao to pursue his dreams and continue his studies,’ he added.
CPGs as the Way Forward
Experts from DOH and PhilHealth acknowledged that while financing mechanisms exist, clear and standardized CPGs are necessary to formally integrate retinal care into the national benefit package.
Dr. Mary Antonette Remonte, Head of the Primary Care Project Management Team at PhilHealth, emphasized the importance of early intervention for eye diseases but admitted that logistical hurdles remain.
‘Retinal blindness is important. Right now, the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology is actually pushing to create its own, even willing to fund its own. But logistics are really difficult. The institutions that will actually make the CPGs are very few and far between. So that’s also the challenge,’ she noted.
As a way forward, Dr. Ofelia Alcantara, Office of the Secretary Health Consultant at the DOH, suggested crafting localized CPGs that prioritize DME and nAMD.
‘Right now, the program is already there. We just need to integrate these two illnesses as priority. Then maybe the group can actually look at what it is that we can do at the primary care with the mayors and the primary care physicians,’ she shared.
Alcantara also highlighted the potential of clinical pathways and the need for more information and data to guide decision-makers. She noted that the DOH is in the process of crafting the national eye health program.
‘If we don’t have the CPG, PhilHealth can just do the clinical pathway at this point. That’s what we did for (the) stroke. We didn’t have the CPG at that time but we used clinical pathways. Because we need to look at the patient, as well as what is the pathway up to East Avenue Medical Center and national apex,’ she explained.
Dr. Romulo Aguilar, one of the founders of the VRSP, expressed hope that CPGs for retinal diseases will eventually be prioritized, as they collaborate with the government as well.
‘I think VRSP and PAO will really just have to partner with private organizations to tackle the burden of retinal diseases. And I hope at the end, these lenses will align so that we can focus on retinal diseases and come up with some good recommendations,’ he said.
A key hurdle is the limited access to innovative medicines that are not yet included in the Philippine National Formulary (PNF), posing challenges for patients and providers alike.
Roche reaffirmed its long-term commitment to improving patient access by supporting the creation of CPGs, sharing local data, and implementing initiatives through its ‘Lunas Pinas’ patient navigation program.
‘You do not have to die or you do not have to have a life-threatening disease to be able to have your problem addressed. Because eye care is not just about the person; it’s also the caregiver. The innovations are here to help address that,’ shared Dr. Ma. Teresa Dioko, Healthcare Ecosystems Chapter Lead of Roche (Philippines) Inc.
Medical leaders from PAO, VRSP, and Tzu Chi Foundation also underscored their frontline role in caring for patients and stressed the need for equitable and affordable access to treatments.
Vision Health as a National Priority
Citing findings from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Vision Health Survey, Roche revealed that nine in 10 Filipino diabetics already report symptoms of vision loss, which is a stark reminder of the scale of the crisis and the urgency of coordinated interventions.
‘Our commitment is to share with health stakeholders and with everyone, especially also the media, the Asia Pacific Vision Health Survey. So that there is a sense of urgency that we put a stop to the neglect of vision health here in the Philippines,’ said Roche (Philippines) Inc. General Manager Dr. Diana Edralin.
‘Roche will continue to be a champion of people-centered eye health, not only as a pharmaceutical company, but as a health advocate committed to preserving sight and protecting the patient’s quality of life,’ she added.
Dr. Edralin also cited efforts with VRSP to build the country’s first multi-site retinal disease registry through the Roche data tool Clarum, alongside a regional real-world evidence study in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
The roundtable ended with a consensus: eye care must be recognized as an essential component of universal healthcare. Stakeholders pledged to take concrete steps in developing CPGs, strengthening patient pathways, and expanding treatment access.