DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines?The Department of Health, in coordination with two foreign agencies, will implement a second neo-natal tetanus survey in Negros Oriental to determine if a mass tetanus immunization campaign in high-risk areas in the country was necessary.

Dr. Socrates R. Villamor Jr., DoH provincial health team leader in Negros Oriental, said that the World Health Organization has identified Negros Oriental and 22 other provinces in the Philippines as high-risk areas for maternal and neo-natal (newly born infants aged 3 to 28 days) tetanus cases. Villamor said he could not identify the other provinces.

He said WHO designated Negros Oriental as the pilot area for the maternal and neo-natal tetanus study, which is also assisted by the United Nations International Children?s Emergency Fund (Unicef).

A first survey was conducted on October 18-24 in 77 barangays in Negros Oriental and the results showed that a newly born infant in Villasol, Bayawan City, about 100 kilometers south of Dumaguete City, died of tetanus within the past two years, Villamor said.

He explained that the DOH will undertake the second survey, this time to be conducted in 154 other barangays in the province, as required under the WHO protocol because of the single neo-natal tetanus case.

Villamor added that under the WHO protocol, an intensified tetanus toxoid immunization campaign would be undertaken in 23 provinces if at least three cases of maternal and neo-natal tetanus cases are found in the second survey, which is to be carried out some time in December.