Cholera cases alarming, says senator

Senator Jinggoy Estrada has filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the alarming outbreak of cholera in multiple regions in the country.

In Senate Resolution 266, Estrada urged the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation on the reported upsurge in cholera cases in the country, with the view of reviewing existing policies and strengthening laws to prevent and mitigate the outbreak of the disease.

"There is a need to protect the population, especially the children and the underprivileged, against this debilitating yet preventable illness through a coordinated approach among government agencies," his resolution read.

Based on the latest data from the Department of Health, a total of 3,729 cases of cholera have been reported since January this year, a 282 percent increase from the number of cases during the same period last year.

"At least 33 individuals have already died from the disease this year and children aged five to nine were most affected by cholera," the resolution added.

Estrada stressed that more than ascertaining the whys and the wherefores, the situation "strongly calls for a review of existing policies to prevent and mitigate the outbreak of the disease."

"The existing policies and programs on sanitation and immunization must be reviewed in order to enhance emergency response mechanisms and preventive measures against the transmission of the disease and to promote public health," he said.

The lawmaker added that cholera is a "disease of inequity, disproportionately affecting the poorest and most vulnerable sectors."

Deaths due to the disease are preventable with today's arsenal of tools as it can be controlled with a multi-sector approach through the provision of basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services, and oral cholera vaccines, according to a Global Task Force on Cholera Control report.

Data from the Health Department showed that most of the cases have been reported in Eastern Visayas, Davao Region and CARAGA.

Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas have also surpassed the epidemic threshold levels for cholera during the past 10 months.

Cholera, according to the World Health Organization, is an extremely virulent disease caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae and it can cause severe acute watery diarrhea affecting both children and adults and can kill within hours if left untreated.