WHO to Convene Geneva Meeting on Monday to Discuss Prevalence of Zika Virus
By: Philippines News Agency
January 31, 2016 7:02 PM
MANILA – The World Health Organization (WHO) will convene its International Health Regulations Emergency Committee in Geneva on Monday to discuss the prevalence of Zika virus.
“The Committee will meet on Monday, Feb. 1, in Geneva to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” according to a statement released by the WHO Regional office in Manila.
Aside from the possible declaration of a public health emergency, the meeting will also discuss the scaling up and strengthening of surveillance systems in affected countries, address critical gaps in scientific knowledge about the virus, development of vaccines, and improving diagnostic tests.
The meeting comes amid the WHO belief that Zika virus is “spreading explosively” in the American region.
Zika virus is a disease caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquito, which is the same vector carrying dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever.
Its symptoms include mild fever, skin rash (exanthema), and conjunctivitis, and normally last for two to seven days.
Meanwhile, for its part, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) is reiterating its call for families and communities to always maintain cleanliness and avoid having potential mosquito-breeding sites.
According to DOH Spokesman Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, the absence of a Zika virus case in the Philippines is not enough reason for Filipinos to disregard its threat.
“There is no room for us to be complacent about this. We do not want to be complacent with this because it is something that we need to address,” said Dr. Lee Suy in an interview.
He said that such “pro-active” approach can be made by engaging the community in maintaining clean environment and thus destroying the mosquito-breeding sites.
He also said that among the other ways are ensuring that containers and storage of water are kept tightly closed, so that the mosquitoes cannot enter to lay their eggs.
People should be aware, he said, that clean and stagnant water are favorite breeding sites of mosquitoes and therefore people should not make it possible for mosquitoes to multiply by not giving them a space to do so.
Dr. Lee Suy advised people to look around and check their environment if there are small things that can serve as storage of water like open water vases, cans, pails, old or unused tires, pots and any other small objects that can possibly store water.
He said actively cleaning the environment is an effective way to ensure people are protected from the threat of dengue, chikungunya and other disease that can arise due to a dirty environment.