The Department of Health (DOH) said it is coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) following the declaration of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC).
In a statement Sunday, Health Undersecretary and spokesperson Dr. Albert Domingo said the WHO advised countries such as the Philippines, which has no reported cases of the Bundibugyo strain and does not share a land border with affected nations, to remain alert and reinforce preparedness measures.
“We have been notified through the International Health Regulations (IHR) channels, and are in active coordination with the WHO,” Domingo said.
The DOH said previous Ebola-related incidents recorded in the Philippines in 1989, 1996, and 2008 involved the Reston virus strain, which does not cause illness in humans.
“The virus did not spread, and no one died of it in the Philippines,” the health department said.
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the current outbreak response is complicated by “ongoing insecurity, humanitarian crisis, high population mobility, the urban or semi-urban nature of the current hotspot and the large network of informal healthcare facilities.”
He stressed the need for “international coordination and cooperation to understand the extent of the outbreak, to coordinate surveillance, prevention, and response efforts, to scale up and strengthen operations, and ensure the ability to implement control measures.”
Domingo added that WHO guidance for countries such as the Philippines, which has no recorded cases of Bundibugyo and shares no land borders with affected nations, focuses on ensuring the public receives accurate and reliable information about the outbreak and preventive measures.