Nuenay, J. M. N. (2014). Strengthening implementation of the newborn screening program to increase coverage in the rural health unit of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte (Unpublished master's thesis). Graduate School of Public and Development Management, Development Academy of the Philippines.

Graduate School of Public and Development Management Health Systems and Development Batch 4 Thesis (MPM-HSD)--Development Academy of the Philippines.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health approach that enables early identification and management of infants who are affected by several congenital metabolic disorders. It was introduced in the Philippines in 1996 when a group of pediatricians and obstetricians initiated the Philippine Newborn Screening Project in 24 pilot hospitals in Metro Manila as a research study and was adopted by the DOH as one of its program in 1999 and later institutionalized as a national program with the passing of Republic Act 9288 in 2004. The Rural Health Unit of Kitcharao became a NBS facility in year 2008 but still up to this moment the coverage is not 100%, thus this study was made for the purpose of increasing coverage of NBS. Specifically the study aims to: a) determine the factors affecting newborn screening coverage and performance rating in the Rural Health Unit of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte; b) identify the gaps in the implementation; and c) recommend interventions to be implemented to strengthen and sustain the Newborn Screening Program in the Rural Health Unit of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte. A document analysis of NBS coverage and performance rating from 2011-2013 , a structured focus group discussion (FGD) to determine factors affecting availment of NBS and Key Informant Interviews to identify the gaps were employed in this research. The study group was composed of 14 postpartum mothers grouped into 2: those who availed and who did not. The Key informants were the RHU staff as the service provider and the Regional NBS coordinator as the facilitator and collaborator. Interventions geared toward addressing each gap were conducted using the Health Systems building blocks approach targeting the factors that decreased coverage. Models like the use of legislation and CHD and LGU partnership, promotions, application to PHilhealth for accreditation, and provision of capacity building activities as identified to be successful strategies were employed in this research. Results showed a significant increase in the coverage and performance rating of the RHU with an increment of 22 newborns and 12.6% performance rating respectively. In conclusion it has been determined that there is a need for a strict implementation of the law also known as " Newborn Screening Act of 2004" in the Rural Health Unit. Interventions geared towards addressing the gaps of implementation and determining factors of poor availment as one of the component of the Newborn Screening System led to an increase in the NBS coverage. An increase of 12% performance rating and 23 newborns in the coverage for such a short period of time shows that with continued, improved and sustained implementation of this project a 100% NBS coverage for RHU Kitcharao would be realized.