INTRODUCTION
Around the world, approximately 810 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. The vast majority of these deaths occur in developing countries like the Philippines. Despite progress for the past two decades in national policies tackling improvements in the delivery of maternal health care, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) across the Philippines remains persistently high with a notably slow decline of 2% annually. In 2018 alone, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded a total of 1,616 Filipino women who died as a result of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. This number increased from 1,484 deaths from the previous year.
The latest 2017 Philippine National Demographics Health Survey reports that the trends in infant and under-5 mortality rates in the Philippines were steadily in decline. In the five-year survey period, the reported infant mortality rate was 21 deaths per 1,000 live births. The child mortality rate was 7 deaths per 1,000 children surviving to age 12 months, while the overall under-5 mortality rate was 27 deaths per 1,000 live births. However, the trend in neonatal mortality has plateaued and neonatal deaths account for two-thirds of infant deaths. Bacterial sepsis, pneumonia, and respiratory distress of the newborn were consistently listed by the Department of Health as the top three leading causes of death among infants.
One of the strategic objectives of the PCHRD’s Institution Development Division (IDD) is to strengthen the capacities of individuals in health research institutions on the development and implementation of priority health research. To address this objective, the PCHRD has adopted a “mentoring of regional researchers program”. This will be implemented to train and guide researchers in the conceptualization, development, finalization and approval of health research proposals. One of the areas of focus is maternal and child health. Maternal and child health, being a relevant public health concern, will benefit from research that will address and improve the health and well-being of its beneficiaries. This is envisioned to alleviate suffering and preventable deaths among all women and children and eventually redound on society.
THE CALL
The Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD), together with the Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical Epidemiology Inc. (FACE Inc.), is holding a CALL FOR CAPSULE PROPOSALS on research focusing on Maternal and Child Health.
The call is open to new researchers (professionals, graduate students, residents and post resident fellows of related specialties) belonging to public and private higher education institutions, research and development institutes, hospitals and non-profit organizations.
Because this is a capacity building/mentoring program, the project will consider the submissions of young and promising researchers who have never had a past research that has been funded by the PCHRD.
Research topics should preferably focus on one of (but not limited to) these priority areas:
- Maternal and child mortality and morbidity
- Maternal Nutrition
- Prenatal care
- Management of the second stage of labor
- High risk pregnancy
- Teen pregnancy
- Essential Intrapartum and Neonatal Care (EINC)
- Breastfeeding and / or breastfeeding support
- Postnatal care
- Prematurity
- Care of the high risk neonate
- Neonatal respiratory diseases and pneumonia
- Neonatal sepsis
- Kangaroo - Mother care
Capsule proposals that involve multidisciplinary collaboration are encouraged.
Ready to submit? Please go to the project submission portal at bit.ly/dostmch2022.
For more inquiries, do not hesitate to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Download Capsule Proposals Template here:
