A decade of impact in Asia Pacific and Japan: advancing heart health, improving care for the elderly, and tackling healthcare challenges through innovation
- Mar 7, 2025
- 5 minute read
Over the past 10 years, Philips Foundation has improved healthcare access for millions, advancing early disease detection, prevention, and care. By partnering with local organizations and leveraging innovative technologies, the Foundation continues to address critical healthcare challenges globally.
Since its launch in 2014, Philips Foundation has been committed to creating meaningful change in our communities. Initially focused on short-term grant projects, the Foundation has evolved to form impactful, long-term partnerships with non-governmental organizations and social enterprises. These collaborations aim to improve access to healthcare and create lasting change for underserved communities across the globe.
Today, the Foundation focuses on initiatives that address critical regional healthcare challenges, such as poor heart health and barriers to care in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), aiming to achieve sustainable, long-term patient outcomes. The focus can be country-specific too. In Japan, where around 30% of the population is over 65, the Foundation is striving to improve access to quality healthcare for the elderly.
The Foundation’s impact is both immediate and enduring. None of this progress would be possible without Philips employees, whose relentless commitment is key to saving lives, building healthier futures, and driving sustainable change
Margot Cooijmans
Tackling local health challenges in Japan
In its early years, Philips Foundation focused on short-term projects and aid. For example, in Japan, it raised awareness around often-neglected health conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), sleep apnoea, and poor oral health by organizing symposia targeted to local needs in different regions of the country.
Targeting four regions—Sapporo, Yamanashi, Sendai, and Okinawa—the symposia were tailored to address local challenges. For instance, in Yamanashi, discussions focused on the effects of sedentary lifestyles on muscle health, while other regions explored the impact of untreated sleep disorders or inadequate oral hygiene. These events were developed in collaboration with local governments, healthcare experts, and academic institutions, ensuring they resonated with regional needs.
Tackling the high burden of heart disease in Asia
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a life-threatening but preventable heart condition. In APAC, its prevalence and mortality rates are particularly significant, with the Philippines and Indonesia among the higher-burden countries.
As part of a partnership with the World Heart Federation (WHF), a Philips project is targeting a combination of challenges – low disease awareness, lack of healthcare access and treatment, inadequate diagnosis, and inadequate medical training – to drive a comprehensive approach to alleviating the burden of RHD. This includes training healthcare workers at primary care facilities on POCUS and RHD care pathways.
For example, 6,000 children are being screened for RHD using Philips' handheld point-of-care ultrasound device (POCUS). POCUS devices are more sensitive in diagnosing RHD than traditional cardiac screening with a stethoscope which is used in most resource-stretched settings where ultrasound is not available at primary care sites. Teachers are also being educated on RHD, leading to greater disease awareness and an increased likelihood that children and young adults seek early diagnosis and treatment.
The project's innovative decentralized model of RHD care allows children diagnosed with RHD to receive follow-up treatment within their local community. This approach ensures that the treatment model is sustainable and respects existing healthcare infrastructure. The project has also gained the support and cooperation of the Philippines Ministry of Health, which ensures alignment with the existing healthcare system, further contributing to its long-term sustainability.
The partnership showcases a strong commitment to education and training of healthcare workers, ensuring that they are equipped with cutting-edge technology for RHD detection, Our goal is to set a precedent for the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
Professor Liesl Zuhlke
Following success in the Philippines, Philips Foundation will partner with the Indonesian Heart Foundation (IHF) to train healthcare workers to screen 7,500 children for RHD using Philips POCUS and the RHD clinical pathways for diagnosis and treatment. Approximately 70 local government health facilities, each serving a population of approximately 30,000, will have at least one healthcare worker trained in diagnosis management and referral pathways.
“Philips’ expertise and innovation in healthcare technology plays a key role in meaningful partnerships like this which improves access to care and the health outcomes of millions of people in Japan and around Asia-Pacific. The skills and commitment of Philips employees in developing and delivering our innovation to healthcare providers and patients are positively impacting lives, enabling more people to receive the care they need,” said Jasper Westerink, President Director of Philips Japan and Acting Managing Director of Philips APAC.
A launchpad for the future
After a decade of impact in Asia, Philips Foundation is looking to the future. For example, building on its existing partnership with the Princess Maxima Children’s Cancer Center in the Netherlands, the Foundation plans to support a project with the Center and World Child Cancer in Indonesia to reduce deaths from childhood cancer via an innovative e-health app solution and improved diagnostics by training radiologists.
Cooijmans concludes, “Building on the success of the past ten years, Philips Foundation is ready for its next decade. But we cannot do it alone. At the heart of this endeavor is a vision to transform healthcare systems and improve access to care for underserved communities. By fostering partnerships and leveraging innovative solutions, Philips Foundation is ready to shape the future of healthcare.”
#HealthForAll #DecadeOfImpact
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