We reviewed the current health service delivery for individuals with Autoimmune Encephalitis (AE) in the Philippines and to identify the gaps and challenges in its management.

The epidemiology of AE is still unknown which can be attributed to the low number of research in the country and its limited recognition in the general population. Out-of-pocket expenses contribute to much of the healthcare expenditure due to limited government-led programs to reduce the financial burden. The access to diagnostic examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalogram, and antibody testing is limited by the geographic distribution of the facilities and costs. The acute and long-term management of AE are cost-prohibitive, not readily available, and not commonly covered by public and/or private insurance.

There are significant treatment gaps in the care of individuals with AE in the Philippines in terms of disease recognition, resource allocation, access to satisfactory diagnostic evaluation, and provision of prognosis-changing therapeutics. We proposed core strategies that can address these treatment gaps such as increasing awareness, improving access to health resources, adequate healthcare financing, and availability of support systems.