By Analou De Vera
An official of the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday said that they are looking at three more possible cases of polio in Mindanao.
Dr. Rolando Enrique Domingo (R), Undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH)
(REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo said that they are monitoring these possible polio cases for confirmation.
"Yung sa Mindanao-- pending confirmation, which will probably arrive (results) today, we will probably announce more cases," said Domingo at a media forum in Malate, Manila.
Domingo, however, did not disclose the location of the possible new polio cases in Mindanao.
"If really confirmed, we will be having six cases in Mindanao," he said.
To note, there are now four confirmed polio cases in the country, three of which were from Mindanao: a three-year-old girl from Lanao Del Sur, a four-year-old girl from Datu Piang, Maguindanao; and a three-year-old girl from Sultan Kudarat. The other case involved a five-year-old boy from Laguna.
Domingo noted that open defecation is one of the factors of the re-emergence of polio.
"In the Philippines there are about seven million Filipino households ang walang toilet ; and 3.5 million of those nasa Metro Manila. It is one of the things that we have to address," said the health official.
Meanwhile, the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP) urged parents to participate in the polio vaccination program of the government.
"Kung iisipin natin...kakailanganin pa ng mahabang panahon bago masolusyunan yung problem sa sanitary toilets. Pero kung naobserbahan natin yung kampanya sa polio, ano ba ang kailangan? Magpatak lang ng dalawang patak sa bibig ng bata," said PIDSP President Dr. Anna Ong-Lim.
"Ang kinakailangan nalang is pumunta si nanay, dalin si bata, or pumayag po sila doon sa nagbabahay-bahay na makatanggap ng bakuna yung bata nung patak na tinatawag. So if we participate cooperate... malaking bagay na maiwasan pa natin yung further cases," she added.
To note, the polio vaccination drive is set to be expanded to the whole of Mindanao on November 25, for the second round of the campaign. In Metro Manila, meanwhile, the last round of vaccination is also set on the same date.