Key Strategic Priorities for PhilPOPI
IPOPI had the pleasure to organise a collaborative meeting on September 27, 2018, with PhilPOPI, its member organisation in the Philippines to discuss key strategic priorities for the NMO. The meeting was well attended by 25 participants including patient representatives, primary immunodeficiencies (PID) specialists, IPOPI, and a representative from the Philippine Department of Health, Mr Eric Tayag. The purpose of the meeting was to support the NMO to reach a deeper understanding of the issues affecting PID patients in the Philippines, and to find solutions on how to address these issues.

The meeting was opened by Dr Jonie Santos-Ocampo, who was pleased to welcome the participants and give the stage to Mr Eric Tayag, who gave the key note lecture on “the healthcare structure in the Philippines”. During the course of the morning, presentations from IPOPI and MyPOPI (IPOPI’s member in Malaysia) on success stories on lobbying and working together, as well as testimonies from doctor and PID patient and parent perspectives on key issues for the Philippine PID community were heard.

The afternoon of the meeting was dedicated to an interactive workshop where the participants were able to brainstorm on the most pressing issues and find practical solutions that can be addressed by the NMO and their medical advisers. The NMO had also a chance to expand their membership during the meeting, by inviting the new families in attendance to join their activities.

A report from this meeting will soon be shared on the IPOPI website.