BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – From an initial two districts, the outbreak of pertussis or whooping cough in this city has spread to four, according to the City Health Office (CHO) yesterday as the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) placed the metro under a state of calamity.
The SP approved the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to make such a declaration to address the spread of respiratory infection.
The CHO has recorded 16 cases, mostly six months to 12 years old, from January to March 25. Of the 16, seven are confirmed and nine are suspected.
“The city must intensify its prevention, early detection, isolation, treatment, reintegration, and timely, appropriate, and high-quality outbreak response for pertussis to prevent and control its transmission,” read part of the SP resolution.
With the declaration, the city government will utilize about P16 million in calamity funds, mobilize health resources, and implement measures to tackle the spread of the diseases.
During the City Council’s special session yesterday, Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna, assistant city health officer, said the disease has now spread to four districts: Jaro, Molo, Arevalo, and Lapuz.
“With the declaration of a state of calamity, we hope to prevent the increase of number of confirmed cases,” said Fortuna.
Councilor Urminico Baronda, the City Council’s committee on health, sanitation, and hospital services chairperson, said the declaration of state of calamity due to pertussis is necessary to prevent and contain the spread of the infection.
“Time is of the essence here. We have to move fast,” said Baronda, a physician by profession.
Councilor Rudolph Jeffrey Ganzon moved for the approval of the CDRRMO, which was unanimously approved by a majority of the councilors.
The CDRRMO convened an emergency meeting on Monday and approved the recommendation of the Health and Sanitation Cluster to declare the outbreak.
Placing the entire metropolis under a state of calamity is necessary to contain and prevent further transmission of the diseases, the disaster office stressed.
In a press conference after the meeting, Mayor Jerry Treñas stressed the declaration of the state of calamity is required before the utilization of the calamity fund.
“We need to access funds coming from the calamity fund; we cannot access it unless there is a declaration of the state of calamity. If necessary, we will add more funds,” Treñas stressed.
In a separate interview, Dr. Fortuna said they projected about 26,000 children aged six to 59 months old from all districts to be vaccinated.
“If we have an outbreak, we have what we call ‘outbreak response immunization’, that is why we need additional vaccines,” said Fortuna said.
He said they will also give vaccines to pregnant women who are in their third trimester due to the possibility of being the carrier of the disease and the baby.
On the other hand, the Uswag Molecular Laboratory staff will undergo training for proper conduct of pertussis testing so the city will not send any more specimens to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Pertussis, commonly known as “whooping cough,” is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can be particularly severe among infants and young children.
This can be acquired primarily through direct contact with discharges from the respiratory mucus membranes of the infected persons.
The bacteria may be spread through droplets and indirect contact with articles freshly soiled with discharges of infected persons. Its symptoms include a cough persisting for two or more weeks, paroxysms which usually occurs at night, followed by vomiting and exhaustion.
Infants not yet eligible for vaccination and infants and young children exposed to individuals who are experiencing influenza-like symptoms are at high risk for pertussis.
In its advisory issued on March 15, the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 reported the region has a total of 18 cases, indicating a 100 percent increase compared to its 2023 morbidity week 10 data.
This year’s data is indicative of the 400 percent increase from the previous year, the health department reported.
The city’s Health and Sanitation Cluster recommended intensifying the advocacy and information campaign on the importance of complete childhood immunization among the barangays, pregnant women, primary caregivers, and healthcare workers, among others.
The health officials also strengthened case detection and reporting of cases to both public and private health facilities including schools and daycare centers.
They are also intensifying basic health education on infection, prevention, and control measures such as hand hygiene, wearing of masks, cough etiquette, and isolation for suspect cases./PN
