Annual Report, Year 4 (October 2020–September 2021)

The program aimed to improve health outcomes in the Philippines through collaborative, learning, and adaptive management approaches. The activity's primary focus was on strengthening the country's health systems, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health, family planning, and tuberculosis control. During Year 4, the CLAimHealth Activity made significant progress in achieving its objectives. Key achievements included the implementation of the Midwife Mentoring and Monitoring (3Ms) Program, which aimed to improve the quality of maternal and child health services in the country. The program involved the training of midwives in 15 provinces, resulting in a 25% increase in the number of skilled birth attendants. Additionally, the activity supported the establishment of adolescent-friendly health facilities (AFHF) in 10 provinces, which provided comprehensive reproductive health services to adolescents. The CLAimHealth Activity also made notable progress in the area of tuberculosis control. The program supported the implementation of the ACCESS TB project, which aimed to improve TB case detection and treatment outcomes in the country. The project involved the training of healthcare workers in TB diagnosis and treatment, as well as the provision of TB diagnostic equipment to 20 health facilities. In addition to these achievements, the CLAimHealth Activity also made significant progress in building the evidence base for health programming in the Philippines. The activity supported the conduct of several research studies, including a cost-effectiveness analysis of intensified case finding for TB using artificial intelligence-read chest X-ray. The study found that the use of AI-read chest X-ray could reduce the cost of TB diagnosis by 30%. The CLAimHealth Activity also made progress in promoting a culture of learning and adaptation within the health sector. The activity supported the conduct of adaptive management sessions (AMS) with health facility staff, which aimed to improve the quality of health services and increase the use of evidence-based practices. Additionally, the activity supported the development of a learning and adaptation plan for the health sector, which aimed to promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement. In terms of geographic focus, the CLAimHealth Activity was implemented in 15 provinces across the Philippines, with a focus on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The activity also worked closely with the Department of Health (DOH) and other government agencies to ensure that the program's objectives were aligned with national health priorities. Overall, the CLAimHealth Activity made significant progress in achieving its objectives during Year 4. The program's focus on collaborative, learning, and adaptive management approaches helped to improve health outcomes in the Philippines, particularly in the areas of maternal and child health, family planning, and tuberculosis control. The activity's progress in building the evidence base for health programming in the Philippines also helped to inform policy and programming decisions at the national and local levels.