Global trends on the nature and causes of different health risks have shifted over the last century. Countries all over the world, including developing ones like the Philippines, are thus challenged to come up with health systems that can address these evolving health concerns. The World Health Organization (2017) estimated that about half of the 56.4 million deaths worldwide can be attributed to ...

In the early 1950s, the Philippines was just recovering from the rubbles of the second world war. Fertility was high, averaging about seven to eight births per woman (UN 2017). Living conditions, however, were poor. An infant born around that time was expected to live for only 55 years. Much of the population were therefore comprised of children, with a little more than half of the country’s whole ...