DOH, other agencies to draft short-term plan in tackling diarrhea outbreak

Metro Manila, November 7 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) said it is coordinating with various agencies to come up with a short-term plan to address the outbreak of diarrheal diseases in the country.

Ma. Rosario Vergeire, the department’s officer in charge, said in a forum that she convened the Inter-agency Committee on Environmental Health (IACEH) to present various outbreaks in the country in the previous months, especially diarrhea outbreak. “Pinaliwanang natin sa kanila na ang cause ng pagkakasakit ng isang tao, based on experience and studies, 20% lang diyan will be directly caused by health, 80% or so will be caused by other factors outside of health, which can be the environment, education, occupation, and so on,” Vergeire said.

She said upon investigation, the DOH found that lack of access to safe water, the absence of sanitary facilities, and clogged wastewater were most of the problems faced by areas of the country which had outbreaks of diarrhea. “Ito pong lahat ay pinag-usapan, nagkaroon ng resolution kung saan gagawa kami ng isang short-term plan ng mga action na pwedeng gawin ng bawat ahensya hanggang December of this year to address initially itong mga outbreaks ng pagtatae sa ating bansa,” Vergeire said. Vergeire said the IACEH will also review the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, as well as improve sanitary infrastructure in various local government units as part of its long-term plans. The Local Water Utilities Administration, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, and the World Health Organization also attended the meeting. Vergeire said the 12-member IACEH was in full attendance except for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In early October, the DOH recorded more than 3,000 cholera cases in the country and 33 deaths from Jan. 22 to Sept. 4. The DOH said the regions of Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas exceeded the epidemic threshold for cholera, a bacterial disease that causes severe diarrhea. The department said there were outbreaks of waterborne and foodborne diseases, influenza-like illnesses, leptospirosis, and dengue after consecutive typhoons. Vergeire noted all of these diseases are preventable.

"These diseases highlight the importance of addressing the social determinants of health through a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach,” Vergeire said in a statement. “The DOH cannot do this alone. We need to consolidate the efforts of other national government agencies, development partners, and the private sector to develop effective and sustainable strategies to prevent these kinds of outbreaks.”

Source: cnnphilippines.com