Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) president Dakila “Dax’’ Cua called on the local chief executives (LCEs) nationwide to take proactive steps to prevent the spread of mpox in their localities.
"I urge my fellow local leaders to be proactive in responding to the threat of mpox. We have already established public health and safety protocols during the pandemic, and now would be a good time to revisit them," Cua said.
Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox surge a public health emergency of international concern, which is its highest alert level with 41 close contacts of the most recent case have so far been put on quarantine.
"At this point, even though there is still no outbreak in the country, it is better to be prudent so that the mpox threat does not escalate. Kaya sana sundin natin ang direktiba ng Pangulo na maging mapagmatiyag, and let us work closely with our communities to ensure that they remain safe and free from illness (That is why let us adhere to the President’s directive to be observant and let us work closely with our communities to ensure that they remain safe and free from illness),’’ Cua stated.
Mpox is transmitted through close contact with an infected person, animal or with contaminated materials.
It added that during the global outbreak that began in 2022, the virus mostly spread through sexual contact with the common mpox symptoms being skin lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.