National Essential Diagnostics List development as an opportunity to expand frontline diagnostic testing at barangay health stations in the Philippines

Abstract

The Philippines’ Universal Health Care Act places primary care at its center, yet the barangay health station (BHS), the facility closest to most community members, generally lacks diagnostic capacity. As the Philippines develops a National Essential Diagnostics List, this presents a policy window to introduce rapid diagnostic tests and point-of-care testing at the BHS, enabling same-day diagnosis and expanded access for underserved populations. We argue that NEDL offers a unique opportunity to institutionalize community-tier diagnostics through integrated legal, financing, quality-assurance, and referral reforms, applicable to other decentralized, resource-constrained health systems with similarly under-equipped frontline facilities.