Go presses action vs infectious diseases

Go presses action vs infectious diseases | Daily Tribune

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, has expressed concern over an increase in the number of communicable diseases such as pertussis and measles.

“Although there hasn’t been a surge in hospital admissions on a national level, we have witnessed some rise in cases prompting certain local government units to declare pertussis outbreaks,” Go said.

The senator pressed his call to pass much-needed health initiatives, including the establishment of the country’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, and the Virology Science and Technology Institute.

As of last week, localized outbreaks of pertussis or whooping cough had been declared in Quezon City, Iloilo City and Cavite province.

Several areas have also reported significant increases in cases, including Rizal, Taguig City, Pasig City, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon province and Lucena City.

Last 30 March, the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines reported a slight increase in hospital admissions due to pertussis.

The Department of Health (DoH) has recorded a total of 568 cases of pertussis from January until 16 March, with 26 cases reported during the same period last year. The disease has claimed 40 lives so far this year.

In addition to pertussis, the DoH said more than 2,600 cases of measles had been recorded since September last year, with half originating from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Go previously filed Senate Bill 195, aiming to establish the CDC, and SBN 196 creating the virology institute. Both bills aim to further strengthen the country’s public healthcare sector following lessons learned from the challenges posed by Covid-19.

“We must ensure that the country is not caught unprepared, underequipped, or understaffed in the fight against future health challenges,” explained Go.

The proposed Center will lead the charge against future health crises as experts in infectious diseases.

“As experts in infectious diseases, the CDC will lead the battle against all threats to the health of our people. It is high time that we have our own CDC,” Go added.