The Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC) hosted, in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Manila-School of Health Sciences (UPM-SHS) and the Visayas State University (VSU), the Balik Scientist engagement of Dr. June Bryan I. de la Peña, a Postdoctoral Research Scientist of the University of Texas.

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 Department of Health Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development, thru the Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center, commenced its implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5-11 on February 14, 2022 at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center.

With the pursuit to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccination activities in Eastern Visayas, the Department of Health Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development together with the Regional Task Force against COVID-19, and the Regional COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center, launched the Regional Vaccination Days- a massive vaccination campaign all over Region VIII starting January 31 until February 2.