Binay to DoH: What's action plan on mpox?

SEN. Nancy Binay wants to know the action plan of the Department of Health (DoH) on mpox, a disease declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health emergency.

The senator filed Resolution 1159 seeking an inquiry amid the WHO's pronouncement that the mpox virus is an orthopoxvirus that causes mpox, a disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although less severe.

The DoH reported on Sunday that the number of mpox cases in the county has risen to 17. Two new cases were reported in Metro Manila and one in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region. All three have the milder clade 2 strain.

Sen. Nancy Binay (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit)

The common symptoms of mpox include fever, headaches, muscle pain and backache, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, body, eyes, mouth or genitals.

«It is vital that appropriate measures are in place to prevent or mitigate the impact of the disease and safeguard public health,» Binay said.

The DoH detected the first confirmed case of mpox in the country on July 29, 2022.

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The Philippines is the eighth country in the WHO Western Pacific Region to have reported confirmed cases of mpox.

«Considering that the WHO has declared the recent mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, it is necessary to evaluate the readiness of the DoH's action plan or response to the spread of mpox in the country,» Binay said.

«It is likewise imperative for the Senate to look into the adequacy of the DoH's and other relevant agencies' response to the WHO guidance on mpox including public awareness strategies to provide recommendations on how to enhance the country's preparedness and response to mpox and similar public health threats,» she said.

According to the WHO, mpox spreads from person to person through close physical contact with someone who has a monkeypox rash, including through face-to-face, skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-skin contact.

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