DOH task force vs communicable diseases created

MANILA, Philippines — To prevent the spread of mpox in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) has created a task force composed of experts in communicable diseases.

“I created this National Task Force for Mpox and reactivated this strategic advisory group of experts that include Dr. (Edsel) Salvaña (and) Dr. (Rontgene) Solante – infectious disease experts that helped us during the COVID-19 pandemic,” DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said in a televised interview Saturday.

Herbosa said that aside from Salvaña and Herbosa, another member of the task force is Dr. Winlove Mojica, a dermatologist.

Mojica is currently the chief of the Division of Infectious Dermatology and vice chairman for services of the Department of Dermatology at the Philippine General Hospital.

“They helped us create this framework – a national action plan with the aim of coming out with ‘risk communication’ (messages) that will provide information to our kababayans concerning mpox – what is mpox, how is it transmitted, where can they seek consultation or where can they get tested,” explained Herbosa.

Under this national action plan, the DOH said it will seek the help of the Philippine Dermatological Society in setting up a website wherein suspect cases or those experiencing mpox symptoms can engage in online consultations.

“What will happen is that the person (with symptoms) will take a picture of the lesions, upload it in the website and I will have it sent to the group of experts,” said Herbosa.

The online consultation aims to reduce the number of suspect mpox patients flocking to hospitals.

At the same time, the DOH chief stressed that strict confidentiality of these materials coming from suspect cases will be observed.