This presentation outlines a tri-sectoral collaboration model in the Philippines designed to strengthen local health leadership and improve health outcomes. It highlights how the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), in partnership with academic institutions and the Department of Health, supports Local Chief Executives and Municipal Health Officers through leadership development, experiential learning, and evidence-based interventions.

ZFF shared these insights at the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities Global Health Conference, held at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 28–31, 2025, showcasing practical strategies for capacitating local health leaders through tri-sectoral partnerships.

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Advancing Universal Health Coverage in the Philippines

This presentation summarizes early lessons from financial integration in Batangas and Quezon, Philippines, focusing on advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the establishment of a Special Health Fund (SHF). It highlights the experiences of local government units, national agencies, and partner organizations in operationalizing the SHF, including key processes, enabling factors, challenges, and practical recommendations for sustainable and coordinated health financing. By sharing these insights, the presentation aims to inform strategies that support equitable access to quality health care across provinces.

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) shared these early lessons at the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference, held at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28–31, 2025, contributing to regional dialogue on strengthening health systems and advancing UHC.

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Delegates from the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) showcased nutrition-focused governance solutions at the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference held at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28–31, 2025. Three representatives from the ZFF Nutrition team presented lessons from ZFF’s governance-focused approach to strengthening local nutrition systems during the Global Health Nutrition Parallel Sessions.

Dr. Joyce Viar, Nutrition Director at ZFF, demonstrated nutrition leadership in practice through a governance approach, highlighting how the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program strengthens local leadership and builds resilient nutrition systems. Jennifer Nandu, ZFF Nutrition Project Expert, illustrated how improved governance in Basilan transformed peace gains into better nutrition outcomes, showing how nutrition can serve as a dividend of peace. Rio Fe del Valle, ZFF Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert, showcased how ZFF’s First 1,000 Days (F1KD) Nutrition Roadmap helps local government units (LGUs) build more coherent, accountable, and functional nutrition systems.

View the presentations:

• Nutrition Leadership in Practice: A Governance Approach through the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program
• From Conflict to Care: Nutrition as a Dividend of Peace through Good Governance in Basilan
• Strengthening Local Nutrition Systems through Governance: Implementation of the F1KD Nutrition Roadmap by the Zuellig Family Foundation
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These presentations emphasized that nutrition governance relies on building leadership, systems, and structures that drive sustainable change. Strong governance enables LGUs to integrate sectors, use data effectively, safeguard programs across political cycles, and design solutions tailored to local realities. The presenters stressed that sustained improvements in child and maternal nutrition occur only when governance is strong, coordinated, and people-centered.

The ZFF delegates’ contributions complemented broader conference discussions on how interconnected factors—health systems, maternal health, education, mental well-being, climate risks, and community conditions—shape nutrition. Presenters showed how school environments, caregiving practices, and exposure to environmental hazards affect children’s growth and learning. They also highlighted the needs of vulnerable groups and the expanding role of digital tools in promoting food literacy and healthier behaviors among youth.

Overall, the sessions reinforced a key insight: governments and development partners must address malnutrition through a multisectoral, systems-oriented approach that goes beyond feeding programs and accounts for the social, environmental, and health-related factors influencing the well-being of children and families, not only across the Asia-Pacific region, but also globally.

Author: Rio Fe Del Valle, ZFF Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Expert

At the 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rio Fe del Valle, Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Expert, explained how ZFF’s First 1,000 Days (F1KD) Nutrition Roadmap helps local government units strengthen their nutrition systems. She showed how the roadmap guides local governments to plan better, stay accountable, and deliver more coordinated services for mothers and young children during the critical early months and years of life.

At 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jennifer Nandu, Nutrition Project Expert at Zuellig Family Foundation, shared how Basilan improved its nutrition outcomes by strengthening local governance. She described how communities used peace gains to expand access to services and demonstrated how good leadership allows nutrition to become a meaningful dividend of peace.

At 18th Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference held on October 28–31, 2025, at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dr. Joyce Viar, Nutrition Director of the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF), presented how ZFF strengthens nutrition leadership through a governance approach. She introduced the Pook Malusog Nutrition Governance Program and showed how it equips local leaders to work together, make informed decisions, and build stronger, more resilient nutrition systems.

As the Philippines advances the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC), we must stay focused on what truly matters: achieving equity for all. 

The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference 2025, held at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, strongly echoed this call. With the theme “Towards Planetary Health Equity: A Global Call for Shared Solutions,” the conference gathered more than 400 participants from 20 countries, including the Philippines, who shared a common goal: to reimagine health systems that are inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

Key Insights

The pre-conference session on Delivery of Health Systems with Innovation and Inclusivity emphasized that health equity demands bold and context-specific innovations that address social and environmental determinants of health. Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen primary and preventive care, many systems still face structural inequities and planetary health challenges that slow progress toward UHC.

Speakers during the main conference highlighted innovation as a powerful driver of transformation. They showcased implementation science, telemedicine, mobile medical clinics, and artificial intelligence as tools that expand access, remove barriers, and empower the health workforce. These innovations can only succeed when we pair them with adaptive learning, process improvements, and strong community ownership.

By integrating planetary health into the discussions, participants reinforced that human well-being and environmental sustainability are inseparable. Achieving equitable health outcomes therefore requires not only technical innovation but also ethical stewardship and responsible governance that ensure health systems remain inclusive, fair, and environmentally sound.

Reflections

The conference emphasized a critical insight: while we design many strategies, frameworks, and programs, health systems—including ours—often fail to confront the root causes of inequity.

Conceptual Model for Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity. Adapted from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017). Redesigned by the Zuellig Family Foundation.

This figure reminds us to ground solutions in community realities and co-create them with those most affected by inequities.

This reflection challenges us to ask: Do we fully understand the structural drivers that sustain inequities? Do our UHC efforts respond effectively to them? And do we integrate planetary health principles to strengthen our systems for the long term?

The Philippines must go beyond expanding access to truly achieve UHC. We must transform our systems to confront inequities at their source. Policies and programs should draw from evidence, engage communities, and align with the broader vision of planetary health equity.

The Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) advances this vision through its local health system initiatives. ZFF empowers health leaders, strengthens governance, and fosters collaboration across sectors. Lessons from the APRU Global Health Conference 2025 affirm that the path toward UHC must remain people-centered and planet-conscious, ensuring that no one—and no community—is left behind.

View the full presentation here

Author: Dr. Catherine Chung, ZFF Local Health Systems Director