MANILA, Philippines — The entire province of Oriental Mindoro has been cleared of malaria, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
“After completing and satisfying the requirements stated in Department Circular 2021-0249 and as reviewed and recommended by the National Malaria Elimination and Control Technical Working Group, Oriental Mindoro is now a malaria-free province,” the DOH said in a statement issued over the weekend.
Department Circular 2021-0249 provides the guidelines in clearing provinces of the mosquito-borne disease.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire thanked the technical and administrative staff, healthcare workers, volunteers and partners at the regional, provincial, municipal and barangay levels, who worked to eliminate malaria in Oriental Mindoro.
“But our work does not end here as the gains achieved by the province must be maintained to prevent reestablishment of transmission through several strategies,” Vergeire said.
She urged local officials to sustain the provincial elimination hub and undertake malaria surveillance and response efforts as well as other on-the-ground measures that need to be maintained.