The Institute of Child Health and Human Development (ICHHD) was founded on the 15th of April 1999. The establishment of the institute was one of the initiatives of Dr. Perla Santos-Ocampo, who was the Chancellor of University of the Philippines Manila. The Institute’s mission is to develop, and implement relevant research programs and activities that will foster the health, development of children. ICHHD is a leading global partner in development and implementing research in child health, development and welfare. Since its inception, the Institute has conducted research on diverse topics, translating into local and international policies and guidelines. Aside from research, faculty members have become content and technical experts for various national and international organizations on other vaccine-preventable diseases, tuberculosis, environmental pollution and toxicants, nutrition, and neurologic infections. Their respective expertise have been utilized in training and education, clinical practice guideline development, and policymaking relevant to child health.

The Institute of Human Genetics (IHG) was created during the 1129th meeting of the UP Board of Regents on February 25, 1999 to promote health by understanding the genetic basis of common diseases in the Filipino population through diagnosis and early detection of potentially treatable genetic conditions.

The IHG is the largest provider of genetic services in the country, which consists of dedicated geneticists, physicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, medical technicians, biochemists, chemists, biologists, and administrative support staff who are committed to bringing genomic medicine closer to Filipinos. To date, the Institute has 7 units – all of which are ISO 9001:2015- certified – providing support, research, and excellence in training, education, comprehensive patient care, counseling, and family support. IHG is the first Institute at NIH that has gained its ISO 9001: 2008 in 2015, and later migrated to ISO 9001:2015 in 2018. It has just been awarded its renewed ISO 9001:2015 certificate that is valid until 2024. It continues to be of service to the people, and at the same time offers quality service with its Quality Management System in place:

The Institute, created upon BOR approval in October 1998, conducts research in the field of pharmaceutical sciences and provides mechanisms for the dissemination and utilization of research and human resources training. Since its creation the IPS has become a center for pharmaceutical research on herbal, animal, marine, and synthetic medicines, a training center for pharmaceutical human resource development, and a provider of analytical services for marketed drugs.

With its vision to be the national and regional leader in innovative pharmaceutical science research and services, the IPS develops and provides the facilities and mechanisms for dissemination and utilization of research and development outputs, expertise, and resources to establish an environmental culture for research and development. IPS also complements the graduate program, faculty development, and research staff training of UP Manila, and serves as a repository of information and source of technical expertise on matters related to pharmaceutical sciences.

Created upon the BOR’s approval during its 1122nd Meeting in 30 July 1998, the National Telehealth Center was created as the eHealth (now “digital health”) research and development center of the NIH. The NTHC continues to push forward the digital health agenda in the Philippines through research on standards and interoperability; design, development, and deployment of health information systems to improve clinical care delivery; and policy development and advocacy. Its vision is to be the recognized authority in transformative digital health research and development in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Its mission is to be a centre of excellence in digital health research through innovative, interdisciplinary, and translational methods towards more efficient health care systems.

The Center’s mandate is to develop, design, and implement health information systems in the Philippines, as well as conduct monitoring and evaluation projects of digital health solutions for improving health care. It prioritizes digital health research in the areas of electronic medical/health records (EMRs/EHRs), public health surveillance, and telemedicine. The Center equips healthcare professionals and IT personnel on digital health and telemedicine tools in order to deliver more efficient health care services.

IMBB aims to promote and implement research focused on prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of Infectious diseases that pose as major threats and primary causes of mortality in the Philippines.

One of the four founding units that comprised the NIH, the Institute was created on 29 September 1994 during the 1080th Meeting of the UP Board of Regents. With strong support from the University and the Department of Science and Technology, IMBB is reinvigorating its efforts in advancing medical and health-related biotechnology research, with a focus on the top ten causes of morbidity and mortality in the country. Flagship programs have generated breakthroughs in dengue, HIV, and neglected tropical diseases. Ongoing work includes zoonotic diseases and emerging viral infections with the potential to inform national policy and aid in the delivery of public health to the Filipino people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, IMBB has been at the forefront of the scientific and medical response with key contributions in innovative diagnostics, testing, genomics, and policy work. The UP-NIH Molecular Laboratory was the first non-subnational laboratory certified as a COVID-19 testing lab on 20 March 2020 and was run by IMBB project staff, personnel, and volunteers. In the near future, IMBB will continue to play its role in pandemic readiness and plans to spearhead cutting-edge research in SARS-CoV-2 viral evolution and vaccine efficacy.

As approved by the UP BOR on 17 April 1997, the Institute primarily conducts relevant research for the improvement of health care using the principles of clinical epidemiology and its related disciplines and to provide technical services in support of research development. The Institute promotes expertise and conduct of essential research in health care and formulation and adoption of health policies emanating from these researches.

ICE has established itself as a leader in conducting clinical epidemiologic research that served as the basis for health policies and clinical practice guidelines. The Institute is recognized for its expertise in doing health systems and policy research, program monitoring and evaluation, and implementation research that provide guidance on the direction of health programs and policies in the country. Its faculty has been in the forefront of issues of public health importance, advocating for rigorous and ethical conduct of research, independent critical appraisal of evidence towards the formulation of evidence-based recommendations and health policies. ICE also established its role as a reliable resource for technical assistance in clinical research, health policy and systems research, environmental and occupational health research, statistical analysis, database design, and data management.

The Philippine Eye Research Institute was established by virtue of Republic Act No. 4593 on 19 June 1965 and is the oldest unit under the National Institutes of Health. Formerly known as the Institute of Ophthalmology, it is the center for advancement of ophthalmology in the country. It remains to be the forefront and main steward in conducting blindness prevention programs for the country through basic, clinical, and epidemiological research. The Institute conducts, collaborates, and supports researches directed towards the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of eye diseases, specifically those prevalent in the Philippines.

PERI research staff have contributed a significant number of scientific publications and published several books and monographs on eye diseases. PERI has also formed linkages with other government and non-government agencies such as DOH, DepEd, PCHRD, and WHO.

One of its major thrusts is the National Vision Screening Program (NVSP). The NVSP is spearheaded by PERI, in partnership with the DOH and DepEd. Signed into law on 31 July 2019, the Program aims to screen all kindergarten pupils entering the Filipino school system to detect errors of refraction and amblyopia using a pre-tested Vision Screening Kit which was developed using evidence-based approaches. This simple pass-or-fail system will provide vision screeners, such as trained teachers, with the information, guidance, and recommendation to carry out the vision screening rapidly and with minimal errors.