A Partnership to Catalyze Hepatitis Elimination in the Philippines and Strengthen Primary Healthcare

Viral hepatitis stands as a formidable global health challenge and a leading cause of preventable deaths. In this session, we will learn about the ongoing efforts to mitigate this pressing issue and how hepatitis care has been used as a strategic entry point to fortify primary healthcare systems. Dr. David B. Duong, MD, MPH, Dr. Janus P. Ong, MD, MPH and Dr. Todd Pollack, MD will join us to discuss their collaboration spanning the United States, Vietnam, and the Philippines, where they navigate diverse political, social, and health system landscapes to advance a unified goal of equitable, people-centered care. By fostering local ownership and ensuring solutions are culturally and contextually appropriate, the partnership exemplifies how global cooperation can drive scalable and sustainable healthcare innovations. Dr. Louise C. Ivers will moderate the session.

This event is free and open to the public.

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About the Speakers

David B. Duong, MD, MPH, Director, Global Primary Health Care, Harvard Medical School

Dr. David Duong, MD, MPH is the Director of Global Primary Health Care at the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care and in the Division of Global Health Equity at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Duong is responsible for the overall strategy development, partnership engagement, programmatic activities and donor relations for Global Primary Health Care to meet the goals and mission of Harvard Medical School as well as the local, national and global primary health care community. His work covers primary healthcare training, systems strengthening, co-design, policy and advocacy across Southeast Asia and in the United States. He has led many research studies and has published on health care systems, including co-leading the Lancet Global Health Commission on People-Centered Care for Universal Health Coverage.  Dr. Duong is a primary care physician, a member of the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group on Integrated Clinical Care, and previously served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Health and Healthcare.

Janus P. Ong, MD, MPH, Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Research, University of the Philippines Manila; Project Leader, StITCH Philippines

Dr. Janus Ong is a gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist, researcher, and hepatitis advocate. He is head of the Liver Research Program at the University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (NIH) and serves as Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of the Philippines Manila. He is an active consultant in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology at The Medical City and the Philippine General Hospital. He has published more than 70 research articles across his areas of interest in MASLD, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis B and C, complications of cirrhosis, and public health. He is on the editorial board of Alimentary, Pharmacology & Therapeutics and World Journal of Hepatology. He works with the Department of Health, World Health Organization, Yellow Warriors Society of the Philippines, and various professional societies on hepatitis awareness campaigns and various projects to contribute to hepatitis prevention and control in the Philippines.

Todd Pollack, MD, Director, Implementation Science, Global Primary Health Care, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Todd Pollack is the Director of Implementation Science for Global Primary Health Care at the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care. He is an infectious disease clinician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and the Medical Director of the Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN), a Harvard University Global Program with a mission to improve healthcare in Vietnam. His work focuses on strengthening primary healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries and on improving access to quality and equitable care for people living with HIV and viral hepatitis. Dr. Pollack leads clinical training, capacity building, and health system strengthening projects in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries and he co-leads the Lancet Global Health Commission on People-Centered Care for Universal Health Coverage.

About the Moderator

Louise C. Ivers, MD, MPH, DTM&H, Faculty Director, Harvard Global Health Institute

Dr. Louise C. Ivers, MD, MPH, DTM&H is the Faculty Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Executive Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Global Health. Dr. Ivers is also the David Bangsberg Endowed Chair in Global Health Equity at MGH and a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ivers has spent her career providing care to the rural and urban poor and engaging in patient-oriented investigation that offer solutions to barriers to healthcare. She works on the design, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale public health programs in resource-limited settings with the goal of achieving health equity. She has worked on healthcare delivery in India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. From 2003-2017, Dr. Ivers served in various leadership roles for Partners in Health, including Clinical Director, Chief of mission, and Director of strategic implementation. In addition to expanding access to healthcare for the poor, Dr. Ivers has contributed to published research articles on HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, and cholera treatment and prevention and is involved in global policy and advocacy.

About the Global Health Coffee Sessions Event Series

The HGHI Coffee Sessions Virtual Series takes place on the last Friday of each month from 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM Eastern Time. Showcasing global health researchers and practitioners from Harvard and beyond, this series aims to explore the role of partnership and collaboration when working to advance global health equity. A diverse range of topics will be covered; including climate change and health, global health security, mental healthcare, reproductive healthcare access, financing and governance for global health, healthcare in conflict areas, digital health, and more. This series will take place online over Zoom, and all sessions will be recorded and available on our YouTube Channel.

Through our events and programs, the Harvard Global Health Institute provides a platform for different perspectives and debates within the field of global health through a variety of media. The views expressed in these events and programs are solely those of the speakers, authors, researchers, and participating audience. As such, they do not speak for the Institute or the university.