The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region on Friday, April 5, raised concerns regarding measles and pertussis.

“The main issue, the main concern of WHO now, is what I have mentioned about measles and pertussis,” WHO Western Pacific Region Director Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala said at a press briefing in Manila.

Piukala said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the vaccination routine for measles and "whooping cough" or pertussis was "sort of neglected."

“But of all of these, vaccines, immunization is the answer. There has been a nationwide protective immunization campaign that is going on now on routine immunization. There’s also a vaccination campaign right now,” Piukala said.

In the recent update from the Department of Health (DOH) on April 2, it reported that the country has a total of 862 cases of pertussis from the start of the year until March 23, a total of 49 people have lost their lives due to the disease.

Among the symptoms of pertussis are intense coughing fits, vomiting, and fever.

It is especially concerning for babies, who might show signs like bluish discoloration during coughing episodes, which is called cyanosis.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/2/doh-reports-862-pertussis-cases-49-deaths-nationwide

The event took place at the WHO Western Pacific Office in Manila as part of the upcoming World Health Day on April 7 with the theme “My health, my right.”

Meanwhile, WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus said that along with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, the government has successfully deployed 4,579 vaccinators in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to address measles.

“As of yesterday, we are able to vaccinate children from six months old to less than 10 years old. The number is– 232,890, which represents 17 percent of the target population,” De Jesus said.

“So, we continue to work with the Department of Health at the central level as well as the subnational, including BARMM and also municipality level, and at the national level,” he added.

2 out of 5 people still have no access to health services

Furthermore, Piukala noted that two out of five people living in the Western Pacific still lack access to essential health services.

“That is 782 million of the 1.9 billion people in our region. That shouldn’t be the case,” he said.

Additionally, one in five people in this region is spending 10 percent or more of their income on out-of-pocket health expenses.

“This is considered catastrophic health care spending, and it has particularly severe consequences for the most vulnerable,” Piukala said.

Moreover, he pointed out the region's lack of access to safe drinking water sources and sanitation problems.

“The good news is this is all preventable with political will and the necessary investments, all of this problem can be turned around,” he emphasized.

Due to these challenges, Piukala called for the public's support.

“So, whether you are a journalist, a health worker, a teacher, a student, a parent, or a community leader, or a common decision maker, please join us in spreading the word about that right to health,” he said.

“To make sure every individual, every family and every community across the Western Pacific can fully realize their right to health,” he added.

Meanwhile, alongside the press conference, a group of healthcare workers staged a protest in front of the WHO office.

The protest aimed to demand a basic pay increase and other essential health benefits for healthcare workers.