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Image: Reach Senior Technical Advisor, Liz Kennedy, accepts a plaque of appreciation after speaking at the 16th Wilberto L. Lopez Honorary Lecture in Paediatric Cardiology in Manila.
In mid-2024, Liz Kennedy, Senior Technical Advisor at Reach, delivered a keynote address to staff and guests at the Philippine Heart Centre in Manila. Her presentation included recent updates to the Echocardiography Guidelines and key insights from the World Congress on RHD held in Abu Dhabi in late 2023.
During her address, Ms Kennedy acknowledged the long-standing collaboration between Reach and the Philippines Heart Association, which began with the RHD Action small grant initiative in 2018 and was followed by the implementation of the Reach Rapid Situation Assessment tool in 2019. In 2024-2025 Reach is providing technical support to a two-year screening and health worker training project in four provinces.
Ms Kennedy also celebrated a significant milestone achieved in 2019 when the Philippines successfully advocated for the inclusion of RHD in the PhilHealth Outpatients Package. This policy change enables patients to receive free benzathine penicillin and annual echocardiograms at accredited clinics.
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