Philippines loses polio-free certification – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines effectively lost its polio-free certification after a lone case was confirmed in Mindanao, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Friday.

“Of course, because in fact not only do we lose it but we will have an epidemic,” Duque told reporters at the “End Polio Now” campaign launch in Quezon City.

Duque explained that based on the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of epidemic protocol, a country can lose its polio-free certification even if only one case of the disease is confirmed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), as well as the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan.

The DOH said Thursday that polio was reemerging in the country. The WHO first declared the Philippines polio-free in 2000.

Duque said that the confirmed polio patient is  a 3-year-old girl from Lanao del Sur, who was diagnosed with vaccine-derived polio virus type 2.

READ: Polio epidemic: DOH confirms resurgence in Philippines

Aside from the case in Lanao del Sur, Duque revealed that the department is also monitoring another suspected case in Laguna.

“We might be able to get it by today, but I don’t really have the official report as of now,” Duque said.

“Hindi pa tayo nakakasiguro, I just have to wait for the concerned office,” he added./gsg