MCRI’s DFAT Australia Awards Fellowship Program in the Philippines

Through MCRI’s DFAT Australia Awards Fellowship Program titled, “Driving Responsive Actions for Adolescent Health in the Philippines Utilizing Local Data,” Professor Pete Azzopardi and Dr Marie Habito of the Global Adolescent Health Group travelled to the Philippines to support regional collaboration and evidence-informed action in adolescent health. This trip was the second of three in-person collaboration opportunities enabled by the DFAT AAF Program.

Professor Azzopardi and Dr Habito facilitated a writing workshop at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City on June 24-25. During the workshop, DFAT Fellows presented progress updates on four papers using data from the Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Filipino Child, and had time to progress their work in a dedicated, in-person setting with guidance from the MCRI team as needed. Each paper is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).

On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25, the Office of Population Studies, in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), hosted a public forum titled, “Driving Action in Adolescent Health: Key Recommendations from the Second Lancet Commission” at the Kabilin Center. Prof Azzopardi presented key findings from the Commission, while Dr Habito shared three case studies of recent work by MCRI and the Burnet Institute, demonstrating responses to its recommended actions. The event was attended by key stakeholders from government and non-government agencies, as well as youth groups and students.

On Thursday, June 26, Professor Azzopardi was the keynote speaker at the book launch of the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS) 2021, “The Filipino Adolescents and Youth: Context, Continuity, and Change”, hosted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute at UP Diliman, Quezon City. The book, edited by two of the DFAT Fellows, contains nationally representative survey data on the health and wellbeing of Filipino young people aged 15-24 years – a critical resource for researchers, program implementers and policymakers.

These events fostered knowledge exchange and partnership building, and created opportunities to showcase MCRI’s work to advance adolescent health and wellbeing in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.