# Integrating Genetic Services in the Philippine Public Health Delivery System: The Value of Networks

## TL;DR

The paper discusses how networks help deliver genetic services in the Philippines, improving access to healthcare in a country with uneven medical resources.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the role of networks in integrating genetic services into the Philippine public health system, especially through newborn screening and rare disease programs.

## Key findings

- Using the newborn screening network has successfully integrated genetic services at the grassroots level.
- The Rare Disease Law of 2016 supports equitable access to genetic services in the Philippines.
- Academic and professional networks help sustain genetic services and shape national health policies.

## Abstract

The delivery of genetic services in developing countries is faced with significant challenges, despite medical and technological advances globally. The Philippines, being an archipelago, faces even more challenges, with significant disparities in access to healthcare, and tertiary medical centers and specialists being concentrated in the major cities. The utilization of different networks for the integration of genetic services in the existing public health delivery system has been valuable. Using the well-established network of the national newborn screening program, genetic services have been successfully integrated into the delivery of healthcare, even at the grassroot level. Equitable access to healthcare, including genetic services, was highlighted and supported by the enactment of the Rare Disease Law in 2016. The support of the academe to assure the sustainability of services was evident in the establishment of a genetic counseling program to augment the work of a handful of clinical geneticists. Professional societies and support groups have been instrumental in identifying genetic conditions to be prioritized and lobbying for increased public awareness, leading to national programs and policies. This paper primarily discusses the value of networks in the delivery of genetic services, specifically newborn screening, programs for rare diseases, birth defects, and genetic counseling.