The Philippine Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (Pidsog) is pushing three policy measures to improve access to maternal care, including the inclusion of recommended vaccines in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth’s) antenatal care package.
The group plans to develop a policy brief seeking the inclusion of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) and, pending evidence review, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines in the PhilHealth antenatal care benefit package.
According to Pidsog Vice President Dr. Analyn Fallarme, adding Tdap is part of their goal of protecting mothers and newborns from potential infections.
‘If we do not give the mother the vaccine during pregnancy and the mother gives birth to a baby with tetanus, almost 100 percent mortality rate. Almost 100 percent, the baby will die,’ she added.
Pidsog will also work on an updated Clinical Practice Guideline on Immunization for Women and a formalized pathway linking recommendations of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) with the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (Nitag), the Omnibus Health Guidelines and the PhilHealth Benefits Package.
‘Our goal is to ensure expectant mothers have equitable access to comprehensive maternal care,’ Dr. Fallarme said.
‘Achieving this requires better alignment between clinical recommendations, healthcare guidelines, financing, and service delivery so mothers can receive the care they need throughout pregnancy,’ she added.
The proposals came after a multistakeholder workshop led by PIDSOG, which identified 12 priority recommendations to address gaps in maternal care policy and implementation.
Pidsog said the measures support the country’s goal of reducing maternal deaths and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Navigation, vaccination
Beyond policy changes, healthcare providers also called for improvements in how pregnant women navigate maternal services.
Dr. Alex Baniqued, medical director of Healthway Medical Network Clinics, said access is not only about the availability of services but also how easily patients can move through the care they need during pregnancy.
‘At Healthway, we see three important things in the patient journey: first, having care coordinators who can guide patients through each step of their care; second, ensuring that the entire healthcare team understands their role in the patient journey so care is better connected; and third, designing services around what patients need,’ Dr. Baniqued said.
He added the importance of ensuring that a patient care should be best suited for the mother, and should not rely on a ‘one-size-fits-all’ care.
Dr. Lorina Quimio-Esteban, an obstetrics and gynecology infectious disease expert at Healthway Medical Network, meanwhile, emphasized the role of vaccination in protecting pregnant women and newborns.
‘Pregnant women need protection from vaccine-preventable infections that can cause complications for both mother and baby, especially as newborns are particularly vulnerable,’ Quimio-Esteban said.
‘That is why recommended vaccines such as Tdap, influenza, and RSV should be integrated into PhilHealth’s maternal care package,’ she added.
At the provider level, Healthway is also making vaccination available within its maternal care services through its VaxHub, which provides screening, vaccination and post-vaccination observation.