Press Release
June 13, 2009

Pia seeks clarification of new gov't tack on A(H1N1)

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today called on the Department of Health (DOH) to clarify its recent announcement that it plans to shift strategies in dealing with the A(H1N1) virus outbreak in the wake of the recent declaration of a global influenza pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"With all due respect to our health officials and their efforts to respond to this crisis, I believe clarifications must be made in order to further educate the public on the government's new direction, particularly on what precautions need to be done on the ground, so as not to cause further unnecessary panic and confusion among our people."

She said the DOH's announcement of a strategy shift from containment to mitigation came just a few hours before the WHO officially declared that the A(H1N1) outbreak had already reached global pandemic levels.

Cayetano said efforts must be made continuously to inform the public on the implications of the new strategy, as well as the DOH's pronouncement that it would now henceforth treat A(H1N1) cases like the ordinary flu when deaths around the world have been reported.

"With mitigation, the government said it will be abandoning the strategy of tracking down the source of infection, and instead focus on community treatment and taking care of the sick. But what exactly does this strategy shift imply?" she asked.

"People might be led to believe that the government has virtually given up on trying to contain the spread of the virus, or that it might be falsely downplaying the seriousness of the outbreak."

"The public therefore needs to be informed, from ordinary people to public health workers who are the community's first line of defense in these times of public emergency. More effort should be exerted on public information campaigns through media, the internet and grassroots education in schools and the workplace to keep more Filipinos abreast of developments," she concluded.

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