Quezon City and StITCH partners discuss reaching more districts
Mayor Joy Belmonte met StITCH and partner representatives to discuss strengthening and expanding hepatitis services.
Mayor Joy Belmonte met representatives from StITCH, UP Manila NIH, Harvard Medical School, and Gilead Sciences on 5 May 2026 to discuss hepatitis services in Quezon City.
Participants included StITCH Philippines Project Leader Janus Ong, MD, MPH, Harvard’s David Golan, Quezon City Health Department Head Ramona Abarquez, and Epidemiology and Surveillance Division Head Rolly Cruz.
The discussion focused on strengthening the city’s hepatitis response and extending StITCH to other districts. This builds on the work of local health teams to bring screening, assessment, treatment, and follow-up into public primary care.
Reaching more districts involves more than offering additional screening. It also requires health workers, laboratories, and referral facilities to coordinate the next steps for people who need care. The meeting provided a space for city leaders and partners to discuss the direction of that work.
Read the Quezon City Government account.
About StITCH
StITCH brings hepatitis B and C services into public primary care in the Philippines and Viet Nam. In the Philippines, UP Manila works with local government and health teams in Tarlac and Quezon City, alongside international, clinical, and community partners, with support from Gilead Sciences.