Ayaw ng Department of Health (DOH) na magdeklara ng hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak sa bansa kung wala silang scientific data na pagbabatayan para gawin ang nasabing hakbang.

“For us to consider and trigger a declaration of an outbreak. Unang-una surveillance data would support and say na tumaas siya for the past five years. But another consideration would be, is it manageable?” ayon kay DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire.

Sagot ito ni Vergeire nang tanungin siya sa press briefing kung kinakailangan na ba magdeklara ng HFMD outbreak sa harap ng mga bagong kaso nito sa mga nakaraang linggo.

Ayon kay Vergeire, maaari naman magdeklara ng outbreak ang mga lokal na pamahalaan subalit kailangan na mayroon itong ebidensya batay sa surveillance data.

“Can the local government still be able and has the capacity to manage the cases and prevent further transmission? So pagtiningnan natin mukhang nakaka-manage ang local governments natin they are coping and they are able to cope up with further transmission of the illness,” sabi ni Vergeire.

Aniya, kapag nagdeklara ng outbreak ay kinakailangan na mayroong health at political component.

“Kaya `yung outbreak, it will only be triggered or declared if surveillance data will say that it has surpassed the epidemic level and also if the cases are already unmanageable by the local government,” paliwanag pa ni Vergeire. (Juliet de Loza-Cudia)

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