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Securing a Continuum of Care: The Challenges of a Fragmented Health Sector

Photo caption: Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) Philippines. Distribution, preparations and vaccination in The Tent in Las Pinas, Caloocan City. Taken on June 17, 2021: Asian Development Bank


  • Book Authors

    Carlo Irwin A. Panelo, Orville Jose C. Solon, Rebecca M. Ramos, and Alejandro N. Herrin

  • Book Reviewer

    Philip Ian P. Padilla, MD, PHD
    University of the Philippines Visayas

  • Volume

    2025

  • Type

    Book Review

  • Abstract

    Securing a Continuum of Care: The Challenges of a Fragmented Health Sector (2020) is a critical examination of the structural inefficiencies plaguing the Philippine healthcare system. Published shortly after the passage of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law (RA 11223) in 2019, the book provides a prescient analysis of the systemic barriers that could impede UHC’s success. Written by experts in public health, economics, and policy, the work dissects how fragmentation—rooted in decentralization, financing gaps, and governance disarray—undermines the ideal of seamless healthcare delivery. While not a direct evaluation of RA 11223’s implementation, the book’s themes offer a vital framework for understanding the law’s challenges and opportunities.