While the aforementioned themes were continuing research concerns, the program shifted its directions into intervention studies in 1985. This shift was precipitated by the development of a protocol for the case management of ARI to be implemented through the primary health care system, by World Health Organization. The Bohol ARI Project, was the biggest project in ARI intervention research at RITM. It was conducted from 1985 to 1990 with funds from the Australian Assistance for International Development (AusAID then known as AIDAB), and was among the studies conducted in seven countries. The project evaluated the effectiveness of the case management protocol, as previously mentioned, in pneumonia mortality. A small-scale version of this project was carried out in Pasay City. Both studies highlighted the role of midwives and more specially, Barangay (village health volunteers) Health Workers in ARI control using antibiotics. In addition to providing evidence of the effectiveness of the case management protocol, several operational studies were also conducted to provide answers to the training of health workers, ARI surveillance and monitoring, community preparation and the like, issues relevant to the integration of the control program into the health care delivery system. The results of both studies provided significant contributions to the decision of DOH to launch the CARI in 1989.

With the implementation of CARI, the program shifted focus to the conduct of research geared towards the prevention of pneumonia. As early as 1994, the ARI investigators started looking more seriously into the etiology of pneumonia, particularly, Haemophilus influenzae type B and Streptococcus pneumonia to provide information leading to vaccine studies and the development of a vaccine study site. The Gallares Regional Hospital in Tagbilaran City, was further developed as the hospital-based etiology study center, while the vaccine field sites are located in Cabuyao, Laguna, Tagbilaran City, and Muntinlupa City. Several immunogenicity and safety studies using Haemophilus influenzae type B and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines manufactured by varying pharmaceuticals have been conducted in these sites. In July 2000, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine effectiveness study in 48 health centers, distributed in 5 municipalities and one city in Bohol was launched. This study is estimated to continue for 5 years and is expected to provide answers to several questions related not only to the effectiveness of the preventing pneumonia, but address other issues such as EPI training of health workers, improvement of EPI coverage, surveillance of adverse events following immunization and vaccine cost effectiveness. Parallel to this, immunogenicity studies are continuously being conducted in the other vaccine study areas using vaccines which are believed to contribute to the prevention of pneumonia, e.g. MMR and other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.