The SIHI Secretariat

The SIHI Secretariat was established in 2020 and is hosted at the University of the Philippines Manila. As the coordination group of SIHI, the Secretariat plays a key role in strengthening collaboration across SIHI’s global network.

In 2024, as SIHI network marked its 10th anniversary, the SIHI Secretariat led efforts to promote sustainability and institutionalisation—facilitating platforms for dialogue, fostering innovative partnerships, and advancing strategies for funding and resource mobilization among SIHI research hubs and partners.

What We Do

The SIHI Secretariat leads the coordination of the global SIHI network, supporting its growth and impact through inclusive collaboration, strategic communication, and capacity development. In recent years, the team has focused on strengthening partnerships, advancing network sustainability, and advocating for social innovation in health at national, regional, and global levels.

We work across the following key areas:

SIHI Secretariat Strategies

The SIHI Secretariat plays a pivotal role in operationalising the SIHI Theory of Change. Through targeted strategies and coordinated actions, the Secretariat helps drive social innovation in health by promoting community-led solutions, fostering innovation ecosystems, building global synergy, and amplifying research impact.

10-Year Achievements

Amplifying impact of innovations:

Nurturing innovation ecosystems:

Our Team

The Secretariat is composed of a diverse, multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in public health, research, communications, and innovation management. Together, we are committed to advancing inclusive, community-led solutions to health challenges.

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Meredith is a health social scientist, medical doctor, and professor at the University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Science (UPM-SHS), an innovative school known for its community-oriented stepladder health professions education curriculum.
Meredith is also a doctor of social development and UPM-SHS’s lead coordinator for health leadership and governance programs, in partnership with government and non-government organisations, providing capacity building, training, and coaching for local chief executives, municipal health officers, and other important stakeholders in the local health system and community.

Her advocacies, work engagements, and research interests include health and social development, social innovations, transformative health leadership and governance, community partnerships and empowerment, local health systems strengthening, disaster and resilience, youth capacity building, and transformative health professions education.

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Jean joined SIHI Philippines in 2018 as the SIHI communications coordinator, working to support the communication efforts of the SIHI country hubs. She has a master’s degree in media studies and her communications background includes working in media as well as in academic and non-government organisations.

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Julia Ocampo is the Network Coordinator of the SIHI Secretariat, supporting joint efforts and shared learning across the SIHI Global Network. An anthropology graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman, Julia has also been involved in qualitative and implementation research focusing on health-seeking behaviors and health financing in Philippine contexts.

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Grace serves as the Communications Coordinator for the SIHI Secretariat. She holds a degree in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines Los Baños with years of experience in communication and publications. In her current role, she leads the implementation of SIHI’s strategic communication initiatives, focusing on promoting social innovation in health, facilitating knowledge sharing, and strengthening stakeholder engagement across the SIHI global network.

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Amara is the Communications Assistant of the SIHI Secretariat. She assists in developing advocacy materials, supports communications for SIHI hubs, and helps share key updates with local and global partners. With a background in Economics and Public Affairs from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, she has a strong interest in innovation and inclusive development.

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Pauline Marie P. Tiangco is a public health physician currently serving as the Technical Consultant for Network Sustainability in Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Philippines. Her work focuses on community engagement, gender, and climate and health research. Pauline obtained her Master of Public Health degree from the University of the Philippines Manila and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center. She received further training on biomedical data science and machine learning and implementation science on Public Health from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, and policy development and advocacy for Global Health from the University of Washington. She also completed the climate change and health program from Yale University.

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Lito H. Tetangco is a Filipino community development leader and social innovation advocate with extensive experience at the intersection of health, disability inclusion, and grassroots empowerment. Lito has coordinated multi-sectoral initiatives that bridge government agencies, local health systems, NGOs, and academic institutions. He has contributed to research and implementation projects with the Department of Health, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health, emphasising evidence-based programming in underserved communities. With a background in biology and field research, and over two decades of experience in health-focused non-profits, Lito brings practical, grounded innovation to complex social health challenges—always with the community at the center.