The Department of Health (DOH) assured the public that the government is prepared for a possible monkeypox outbreak in the country, following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration that the disease is a "public health emergency of international concern."

The DOH, together with its partners, “have been preparing for the monkeypox virus ever since an uptick in cases was reported in other countries in May 2022.”

DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said there is no confirmed case of monkeypox yet in the Philippines.

“Up to now, there has been no finding 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 is not the same. The DOH will keep the Filipino public updated with factual information,” she said.

The WHO has already issued recommendations to guide countries in responding against monkeypox, the DOH said. These recommendations include:

• Activate multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms for readiness and response, to stop human to human transmission;
• Avoid stigmatization and discrimination against any individual or population group that may be affected, to help prevent further undetected transmission;
• 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;
• Engage key community-based groups and civil society networks to increase provision of reliable and factual information;
• Focus risk communication and community support efforts on settings and venues where close contact takes place;
• Immediately report to WHO probable and confirmed cases of monkeypox; and
• Implement all actions necessary to be ready to apply or continue applying further Temporary Recommendations for countries with detected cases, should there be a first-time detection of one or more suspected, probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox.

In relation to this, the DOH said it already drafted, approved and circulated last May 24 interim technical guidelines for the implementation of monkeypox surveillance, screening, management, and infection control.

Last May 27, the DOH convened the Philippine Inter-agency Committee on Zoonosis (PhilCZ). Its members include the DOH, Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as their respective agencies as members.

“DOH has been carefully communicating the risk of monkeypox transmission along with other pertinent facts about its causative agent and clinical presentation. DOH emphasizes across all its guidelines and advisories that any individual can get monkeypox,” it said.

Moreover, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine “successfully optimized its Realtime PCR assay for detecting the monkeypox virus last June 20, 2022," the state health agency also noted.

"DOH is currently working with local civil society organizations, community-based groups, social hygiene clinics and advocates to properly communicate the risk of monkeypox transmission among certain population groups without stigma," it furthered.