DoH: Phl ‘ready’ vs monkeypox outbreak
The Department of Health (DoH) assures the public the Philippines is ready against the possible spread of the monkeypox virus, following the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) that the viral disease is now considered a “public health emergency for international concern.”
“The Department of Health and its partners have been preparing for the monkeypox virus ever since an uptick in cases was reported in other countries in May 2022,” the agency said in a statement.
The remark came after the WHO activated its highest alert level with the increasing number of monkeypox cases, declaring the virus a public health emergency of international concern.
A public health emergency of international concern is designed to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments, according to the WHO.
Following its declaration, the global agency also issued temporary recommendations to guide countries, like the Philippines, with no history of monkeypox in humans.
Among the recommendations of the international health body include the following: Activate multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms for readiness and response to stop human-to-human transmission; and to avoid stigmatization and discrimination against any individual or population group that may be affected to help prevent further undetected transmission.
Up to now, there has been no case in the Philippines that fits the definition of a suspect monkeypox case.
The WHO also urged countries with no reported cases of monkeypox to intensify epidemiology and disease surveillance; intensify detection capacity by raising awareness and training health workers; raise awareness about virus transmission, related prevention and protective measures, and symptoms and signs among communities that are currently affected, as well as among other population groups that may be at risk among others.
In line with the WHO’s recommendations, the DoH said the agency convened the
Philippine Inter-agency Committee on Zoonosis last 27 May 2022, with members from the Departments of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources and their respective agencies.
As early as 24 May, the agency also claimed it already had drafted, approved and circulated interim technical guidelines for the implementation of monkeypox surveillance, screening, management and infection control in the country.
It also noted that it conducted several online town halls and meetings with health care workers as part of the country’s response to monkeypox.
The Health department through the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine has also successfully optimized its real time polymerase chain reaction test assay for detecting the monkeypox virus.
Health officer-in-charge and Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire assured the public there is no reported monkeypox case in the Philippines yet.
“Up to now, there has been no case in the Philippines that fits the definition of a suspect monkeypox case. The clinical presentation is often explained by other diseases that look like monkeypox, but are
not the same,” Vergeire said.